


What About Us

by lilferret



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Mpreg, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-30
Updated: 2012-12-18
Packaged: 2017-11-19 21:41:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 50,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/577945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilferret/pseuds/lilferret
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack and Ianto have worked side by side through all types of challenges. Will this one tear them apart?</p><p><b>Disclaimer:</b> All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for NaNoWriMo 2012 - There are 50,700 words in total. 

He raced around the corner, hot on the alien’s heels. His own feet ached in his new shoes, and grimacing at the pain, he again cursed his affinity for designer suits and fine leather craftsmanship. Just once he’d like to be out on the streets wearing a comfortable pair of trainers and some sweats. But he knew that wouldn’t happen. After all, he had an image to maintain.

“Ianto, can you see it?” the voice called through his earpiece.

“Right in front of me, sir,” he replied, slightly out of breath. Maybe it was time to hit the gym again. He hadn’t been in ages. 

“Remember, Ianto, we want this one alive.”

He rolled his eyes. He wasn’t the one who’d killed the last alien they’d chased. They had Owen’s itchy trigger finger to thank for that one. “No sir,” he said sarcastically. “I don’t remember.”

“Are you getting sassy with me? You know I like sassy.”

“Oi, Harkness. We can hear you, you know.”

Ianto smirked, imagining Owen’s look of disgust. He then tried to ignore the ongoing banter in his ear as he pursued the alien, turning another corner and coming up short when he realized he had chased it into an alley with a dead end. The creature was standing in front of a large brick wall, breathing heavily. It hadn’t turned around.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, raising his gun in one hand, “but I’ve got it cornered.”

“Have you pinned down a race, Toshiko?” Jack asked, the sound of feet hitting the ground mixing with the sound of fingers flying over keys.

“Not yet, no. I’m trying to narrow it down.” There was a moment of silence from her end before she spoke again. “I can’t be sure, but it might be the Raspotahn or the Kelmenicis. Although there may be more possibilities.” There was further tapping of the keys. “Ianto, does it have an orange patch on its chest?”

Ianto frowned. “I can’t tell. It’s facing away from me.” He swallowed, then called, “Turn around!”

There was no response from the alien. It simply stood in place, shoulders heaving as it apparently recovered from its run through the city.

“Still nothing,” he advised, not taking his gun off the creature. “I’m not certain it speaks our language.”

“Try Welsh.”

If Ianto could glare through the earpiece he would. “Amusing, sir.”

“I was kinda serious.”

“What about its legs, Ianto?” Tosh asked. “Is it bowlegged?”

His eyebrow shot up but he took a good look. “No. It has straight legs.”

“Is that good or bad, Toshiko?” Jack asked. “I’m almost to you, Ianto.”

“Well,” she began, fingers silent, “if it were bowlegged and had an orange patch on its chest it would more than likely be the Kelmenicis. However, if there is no orange patch it could either be the Raspotahn or approximately six other alien races.”

Ianto sighed, flexing his fingers around the grip of the gun. “Which one is dangerous, Tosh?”

“They could all be dangerous, Ianto,” she said, tapping once more at her keyboard. “But they’re not all aggressive.”

Ianto heard Jack turn the corner but didn’t look away from the alien before him. “Sir?”

“We’ll have to play this one out,” Jack replied, coming to stand beside him. “Owen, we need those tranquilizers. Where are you?”

“Keep your panties on, Harkness. We’re just parking the SUV.”

“Be very careful with the handling, Jack,” Tosh warned. “Two of these races have mildly poisonous saliva.”

Jack grinned. “I once had a boyfriend with poisonous saliva. Not only did we have to use protection, he…”

“Did you bring any gloves, sir?” Ianto interrupted. He was quite used to his captain’s tendency to speak of his sexcapades, but perhaps now wasn’t the best time to discuss them.

“Ah, no.”

“We have some in the back,” Owen supplied.

“Grab them,” Jack replied. “And face masks, while you’re at it.”

“Face masks?” Gwen asked. “You mean like gas masks?”

Jack shuddered beside him and Ianto turned his head to look at him, cocking an eyebrow. Jack, however, was still looking straight ahead.

“No, I mean surgical masks. Surely you have some in your kit, Owen?”

“Yeah, I got ‘em.”

Several moments later the rest of their field team came around the corner. The alien still hadn’t moved. Ianto thought that might be a good sign, as maybe it wasn’t one of the races that were aggressive. If they got lucky, they might be able to get the creature back to the Hub with no casualties.

Within five minutes Owen and Ianto were carrying a sleeping alien between them and depositing it in the boot of the SUV. They spent the ride back to the Hub listening to Tosh fill them in on the details of the alien races she’d researched. She’d narrowed the window even further, and by the time they arrived at the Hub, she was nearly positive it was the Raspotahn. 

Owen helped him move the creature down to the cells, while Jack and Gwen pitched ideas to Toshiko so they could create a cover story for the alien’s romp through the streets of Cardiff. It hadn’t caused any damage that they were aware of, but far too many people had seen it and they simply weren’t comfortable distributing quite that much Retcon.

“It didn’t put up much of a fight,” Ianto mused, removing his mask and gloves and tucking them into his jacket pocket. He watched the beast through the safety of the barrier. 

“Tranquilizers will do that to you.”

Ianto smiled. “I meant before we used them. When I cornered it in the alley it just stood there. It never attempted an escape, nor did it attack me.”

“Disappointed, Tea Boy?” Owen mocked. “Perhaps you’d have preferred lying in my medical bay, getting stitched up.”

“Of course not, Owen,” he replied, still smiling. “Just surprised, that’s all.”

“Yeah, well, better you surprised than dead.”

“I didn’t realize you cared.”

Owen glared and then spun around, heading up the steps. “Don’t read too much into it.”

Ianto stayed behind, watching the alien sleep on its back in the middle of the concrete floor. There was no orange patch, but then he’d already figured that, given its straight legs. Based on everything they could see, Tosh’s assumption of it being a Raspotahn was the best lead they had to go on. If that was correct, it was a solitary creature, non-aggressive. Its only defense was the aforementioned poisonous saliva. It paralyzed its enemies, making escape possible, but it posed them no real threat.

“How’d you get here?” Ianto whispered, frowning. “The rift?”

“More than likely it was brought here by another race,” a voice said from behind him. Ianto turned to find Jack standing there, hands tucked in his pockets. “From what I’ve heard of the Raspotahn, they were made into slaves from an early age and trained for hard labor. If this one fell through the rift it was pretty lucky.”

“So that’s what we’re going with?”

“It’s the elongated middle toe that gave it away,” Jack replied, nodding toward the sleeping alien. “She said none of the others have that trait.”

“Do we know who enslaved them?”

“Quite a few races, actually. Their strength and docile nature were perfect for manual labor. They’re the oxen of the universe.”

“What are we going to do with it, sir?”

“We’ll have to keep it here for now. If whoever enslaved it is out there somewhere, we can’t risk them finding it again.”

Ianto considered this. “That could make for a very angry owner.”

“Not worried about it,” Jack replied, lifting his chin. “I’ve never supported the slave trade and I don’t intend to start now.”

Ianto nodded, turning back toward the Raspotahn. “Any idea what they eat?”

“They’re vegetarians, so leafy veg is probably the place to start.”

“I’ll need to make a trip to the shops,” Ianto said, starting to make a list in his head. “If it’s alright I could do that now. Pick up dinner for the team on my way back.”

Jack stepped closer, slipping his arms around Ianto’s waist. “Always taking such good care of the guests and the team. We really should add ‘hospitality extraordinaire’ to your list of accomplishments.”

Ianto’s face remained neutral. “Is that before or after ‘exceptional in bed’?”

Jack laughed, pressing a kiss to Ianto’s forehead before releasing him and turning to head up and out of the cells. “After, Ianto. Definitely after.”

Ianto grinned, following behind the captain at a respectable distance. He headed toward the cog wheel door before second guessing himself and making his way up to the kitchen instead.

“Anyone for coffee before I pick up dinner?” he called out.

A chorus of affirmatives was his answer, and Ianto set about the task, prepping the beans for the grinder before wiping down the machine. Once he’d started the brew he leaned back against the counter and waited.

He went over his mental checklist, deciding on spinach, broccoli, a few types of lettuce, and then a collection of beans and sprouts. If the alien didn’t like any of them he would try more unconventional vegetables. He shivered, making a face. He really didn’t care for vegetables much himself. 

When the coffee was ready he brought each team member his or her cup, narrowly escaping his captain’s wandering hands as he placed the mug on his desk. That man would try any tactic to avoid paperwork, especially his mission reports. Ianto figured he’d be completing Jack’s as well as his own before the night was up.

Setting out once more toward the exit, Ianto called a goodbye to the team. Now that they had their coffee, however, he only received a reply from Toshiko. He didn’t really expect anything different, though. When the team became engrossed in what they were doing it was nearly impossible to pull them away, even for common courtesy.

By the time he’d returned to the Hub with the groceries and several pizzas, the team was gathered in the conference room. How they always managed to know when he was on his way back he’d never understood, but he highly suspected misuse of the CCTV and the tracking of his mobile’s GPS.

He set the vegetables on the counter and carried the boxes up, placing them on the table before heading back down for beverages. Once everything was set out he carefully placed his suit jacket on the chair behind him and tucked a napkin into his shirt collar.

“You do realize you constantly provide the fodder for my amusement, right?”

Ianto looked up at Owen as he pulled a slice of pizza from one of the boxes. “Is that so?”

“Yep. Honestly, Ianto, why can’t you just take a risk and get messy like the rest of us?”

“Because one of us needs to at least pretend we’re professionals.”

“And the napkin in your shirt makes you a professional?” Owen quipped.

Ianto rolled his eyes, swallowing his bite of pizza before responding. “It keeps my shirt clean, thus maintaining my professional appearance.”

“Are you saying I don’t look professional?”

“Well, if the faded jeans and stained shirt fit…”

“Alright, alright. Down, boys,” Jack interrupted, holding up his hands. “That’s enough. Owen, Ianto likes to keep neat and clean. He wears a suit. There’s nothing wrong with that. Ianto, Owen works with alien blood and guts the majority of the time. He can’t be expected to stay clean a hundred percent of the time, or to wear a suit like you do. Imagine the dry cleaning bills.”

Ianto nodded, taking a sip of his drink. Owen shrugged, digging into his pizza and scowling.

“That’s better,” Jack said, smiling. “Ianto picked up various vegetables to see whether or not our newest guest likes them. Why don’t you tag along after dinner, Owen? I know how much you love to study our alien friends.”

“What?” he replied, mouth full of pizza.

“It can be your new pet project. No pun intended.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Owen asked, swallowing his mouthful and glaring. “Do you know how many reports I’ve yet to write?”

“I can take a few off your hands, Owen,” Gwen offered, smiling. “I’m just about done with my workload today.”

“Well bully for you,” Owen grumbled. “I can do my own reports, thank you.”

“I was only trying to help,” she replied. “Feel free to do them yourself, then. I’ll just duck out early tonight. Rhys has been after me to catch a movie anyway.”

“Owen, you’re study of the Raspotahn is important,” Jack told him. “Just like your Weevil study. The more we can find out about the alien the better and the quicker we’ll be able to assess whether or not he or she can be released into our special population of riftugees. And that’s another thing. We need to find out if it’s male or female.”

Owen sighed loudly. “Fine. But I’m not feeding the bloody thing or cleaning out its cell. I fancy my parts, and don’t need poisonous saliva near any of them.”

“I’ll take care of the feeding and cleaning,” Ianto said somberly. “It’s what I do.”

“And you do it well,” Tosh said, smiling. “Thank you for dinner, Ianto.”

“Yes, thank you,” said Gwen.

“My pleasure,” Ianto replied.

When dinner was finished Ianto took the leftovers to the kitchen, before collecting the team’s trash and binning it. He then washed and prepared the vegetables, arranging them on a tray with a large cup of water. He slipped his mask and gloves back on, grabbed the tray, and headed down into the cells once more.

The alien was where they had left it, however it was no longer sedated. It sat in the middle of the floor watching him as he approached.

“Hello there,” Ianto greeted it, placing the tray on the floor. “Are you hungry? I’ve picked up quite a few items for you. We weren’t sure exactly what items you like to eat, or even if we have them on this planet.”

There was no reply from the alien within the cell. It’s large, brown eyes watched him carefully, however, and it seemed to be far more calm than earlier that afternoon. Ianto wasn’t sure it spoke English. Neither Jack nor Tosh seemed to know for sure.

“Can you understand me?” he asked. No reaction. “That’s probably a no, then. Well, just in case, I’m going to open your cell and place this tray inside for you.”

He proceeded to do just that, and the alien remained where it sat. He left the tray by the door, waiting and watching. The Raspotahn never moved, still watching him.

Ianto waited for nearly half an hour before deciding it best to leave the alien alone. He suspected it didn’t want to eat in front of him, preferring to keep its eyes on a potential threat at all times. As he made his way back up into the Hub, he heard the tray move and smiled. CCTV confirmed his suspicions as he stood with Jack in his office and watched the alien devour the entire array of food.


	2. Chapter 2

Ianto awoke the next morning with a loud yawn. He blinked his eyes open and groaned at the light streaming in from the office above his head. Rolling over, he grabbed his watch off the small bedside table. His eyes widened when he saw it was after eight in the morning. It wasn’t usual for him to sleep late as he preferred to be working by that time. Apparently their activities the night before had worn him out. 

Shrugging the covers from his body, Ianto rolled off the small cot and stretched. He made his way to the tiny bathroom and took a quick shower, dressing in the spare suit he kept in Jack’s bunker for just this occasion. He made a mental note to pick up another suit when he went home that evening.

Climbing out of the room he was greeted with the sight of Jack hard at work at his desk. He was deep in concentration, if the fact that he hadn’t heard Ianto stirring was any indication. Ianto stepped up beside him, smiling. “Good morning, sir.”

Jack jumped, spinning around to face him. A grin split his face. “Ianto! Good morning.”

“I slept rather later than I expected,” Ianto replied as way of apology. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Would you like a coffee?”

“I’d love one.” Jack put down his pen and reached up to tug Ianto closer. “But first…” He drew Ianto down and kissed him hard on the mouth before pulling away with a loud smack of his lips. “Much better.”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “I should really begin chastising you for your public displays of affection.”

“What public? We’re in a secret underground base and no one is here.”

“No one?” Ianto straightened up and looked out the glass door toward the workstations. Not one of his coworkers was sitting there. “Where’s Tosh?”

“She called earlier, feeling a little under the weather. I told her to take the day off. She insisted she’d be in this afternoon after a bit more sleep.”

“Owen? Gwen?”

“I’m sure they’ll be along shortly. It’s early yet.” 

Ianto nodded, stepping away from Jack and heading for the door. He made his way to the kitchen and began the first coffee of the day. Poking around the cupboards he managed to find a package of Hobnobs that hadn’t been devoured by Gwen. She had quite the sweet tooth and he constantly had to find new places to hide the biscuits so she wouldn’t eat them all. He wasn’t at all sure how she maintained her figure.

Placing the biscuits on a plate he prepared a couple of coffees for himself and Jack, then made his way back to the captain’s office. Setting the plate and coffees between them on the desk he pulled up a chair, making himself comfortable while Jack set aside a folder he’d be working on.

Jack reached for a biscuit and downed it in one bite. Taking a sip of his coffee next he moaned, closing his eyes. “I don’t know how you do it, Ianto.”

“How I do what, sir?”

“How you make a cup of coffee into an orgasmic experience.”

Ianto took a sip of his own drink before answering, “I’m a sex god. Obviously.”

Jack laughed out loud, opening his eyes and grinning at the man across from him. “I never doubted it for a minute.”

They finished the remainder of their breakfast with small talk, and when they were finished Ianto cleared their plate and mugs and took them back to the kitchen for a thorough cleaning. He hummed to himself as he worked, going through his mental checklist of chores he wanted to accomplish that morning. 

First up would be the Raspotahn’s feeding. He wanted to spend some time with the alien today, to try to form a connection of sorts. Perhaps if they bonded the creature would communicate with him and they could determine sooner rather than later if they could integrate it into their population of aliens given asylum. He hoped Owen would be working with the alien that day as well. They really needed to determine its sex so they could give it a name. Referring to their guest as “it” would become very old, very fast.

Cleaning done, Ianto prepped more vegetables for the alien and once again donned his gloves and mask, having left them in the kitchen for convenience. He placed another cup of water on the tray and started to leave, before deciding to bring the chocolate biscuits with him. Might as well see if the Raspotahn enjoyed a more diverse vegetarian diet.

Setting the tray down on the floor of the cell, Ianto waited a moment to see if the alien would approach him. When it didn’t, Ianto sighed and backed out of the cell, closing the door behind him. It only took a few seconds for the creature to move forward and poke around the tray. It grabbed a large leaf of spinach and munched it carefully, its eyes not leaving the open package of Hobnobs.

“I think you’ll like those,” Ianto told it, nodding at the biscuits peeking from the opening.

The alien eyed him, swallowing its spinach. It appeared to frown, if that was how their faces worked, and it shoved the package of biscuits off the tray. It instead grabbed a handful of broccoli and backed away, munching the veg.

“Or maybe not.”

The alien then began to keen. Softly at first, then gradually louder. It rocked back and forth on its haunches, still chewing on its breakfast as it stared disdainfully at the offending biscuits. Ianto thought that perhaps it didn’t like the food touching its breakfast, and that was why the Hobnobs had been cast aside.

“Do you want me to remove those?” he asked the alien, pointing toward the package. The alien keened louder, and looked up at him with what appeared to be a pleading expression. “I’ll take that as a yes then, shall I?”

Ianto opened the door once more. The alien was still watching him and did not stop its keening, though the sound had lessened fractionally. He moved closer, barely registering that the creature was only a meter behind the plate. Later he would realize that if he’d considered his actions a little more thoroughly he would have waited until the alien had backed farther away.

Reaching down toward the biscuits which lay just beside the Raspotahn’s tray, Ianto took his eyes away for what was likely a second too long. The alien lunged at him, its mouth closing around his hand in a flash of movement. Its teeth sunk in and Ianto yelped, knocking the tray. The sound startled the creature and it released his hand. As Ianto backed away toward the door behind him, clutching his injured hand, the alien once more took up its keening, making its way to the back corner of the cell and huddling down into a shaking mess. It looked extremely remorseful. 

The package of biscuits remained next to the tray, and the vegetables were now floating in the spilled water from the cup that lay tipped over on its side.

Ianto closed and locked the cell door carefully; a difficult task with only one hand. He hurried from the vaults and made his way up the stone steps, fumbling with the door to the Hub. Luckily Jack met him halfway, pulling the door open and drawing Ianto through before closing it once more.

“I saw what happened on the CCTV,” Jack explained to him, his arm around Ianto as he led him through the Hub and down into the medical bay. “I called Owen. He’s already on his way in. Should be here within minutes. Did it get through the gloves?”

There was a tinge of panic in Jack’s voice, but Ianto knew he wouldn’t be able to give him any assurances. While there was no blood streaming from his wound, he’d already noticed the puncture marks in the latex. He wished he’d thought to wear something thicker, but the assumption had been that the Raspotahn race was non-aggressive. He’d been protecting himself from the creature’s saliva touching his skin, not from the threat of a bite.

“Yes,” he mumbled.

Jack sat Ianto on the table and pulled off his face mask, tossing it aside. He reached for his hand, but the Welshman tucked it closer against him, shaking his head. “Gloves,” he told him, eyes wide. “It’s poisonous.”

“Right,” Jack agreed, turning to fumble through drawers until he found a box of gloves and pulled a pair on. Then he turned around and smiled gently. “Even though it can’t kill me.”

Ianto frowned. “Yes it can. You just won’t stay dead.”

Jack’s smile faded. “Yeah.”

The cog door rolled open with its blasting klaxons and Owen hurried through. “Jack? Ianto?”

“Down here,” called Jack, stepping to the side. He wrapped an arm around Ianto again, pressing a lingering kiss to the side of his head. “Owen’s here.”

Ianto snorted. “I heard. Don’t worry, Jack. I’m fine.”

Owen quickly made his way down the steps, washing his hands. He grabbed a pair of gloves and slipped them on before pulling Ianto’s hand toward him. “Jack said the Raspotahn bit you?”

“Yes. I was trying to clear away something from its tray and it reacted.”

“I thought they were non-violent, Harkness,” Owen growled, removing Ianto’s glove and examining the wound.

“They are,” Jack replied defensively. “I can’t remember ever hearing about them being aggressive.”

“I don’t think it meant to hurt me,” Ianto told them, wincing as Owen dabbed alcohol on the puncture marks. “It seemed really upset afterward.”

“Probably thought you were going to retaliate,” said Owen. “Should have shot the bloody thing.”

“No,” argued Jack, shaking his head. “We need it alive, Owen. Otherwise there’s no way to create an antidote.” 

“Yeah,” the medic muttered, cleaning the wound. “Do we know how long the poison takes to kick in?”

“Tosh would have that information,” Ianto replied, watching as Owen reached for a needle and extracted what he assumed was an antibiotic from a small glass bottle. He winced as the needle pierced his skin.

“I’ll call her,” said Jack, heading up the stairs.

Owen grabbed gauze and a sterile bandage, looking him in the eye. “How’s the pain?”

“I’m fine,” Ianto replied.

“Don’t be so bloody stoic, Jones. Jack’s not here. Tell me the truth.”

Ianto sighed. “It hurts.”

“That’s what I figured,” the medic replied, reaching for another needle and bottle. He injected the pain medication before securing the gauze and bandage around his hand with surgical tape. “I’ll put together pills for you as well.”

“That’s really not necessary,” Ianto tried to argue.

“And exactly who is the doctor here?” asked Owen, taking off his gloves and washing his hands again. “You can be as stubborn as you want to, but you’re still going to take the pain meds.”

Ianto sighed, pulling the glove off his other hand and dropping it and its match in the bin by the side of Owen’s workbench. He knew it was pointless to argue with the medic when it came to his patients. The man might have the bedside manner of an ogre, but he knew what he was doing.

Jack appeared at the railing above them, looking grim. “Tosh says the poison spreads through the system within thirty minutes, but that the full effects might not be noticeable for several days. She wanted to remind us that it’s listed in the records as mild. It’s not a neurotoxin.”

“Then we have a little time,” Owen replied, pulling test tubes and vials out of a cupboard. “I’ll start with some blood samples from both Ianto and the Raspotahn. Where is Tosh, anyway?”

“She’s heading in now,” Jack replied. He smiled down at Ianto. “I told her she didn’t have to come, that she could help us via phone, but she refused. She says all the research she was doing yesterday is on her computers here at the Hub.”

“She wasn’t feeling well and called in earlier,” Ianto said, responding to Owen’s confused look.

The klaxons blared again and Ianto looked up, assuming it would be Tosh. When Gwen came to stand beside Jack with an anxious look on her face he realized the captain must have called her too.

“Nice of you to join us this morning, Miss Cooper,” Owen muttered. “Alright, Tea Boy, off with the jacket and roll up your sleeve.”

Ianto got to his feet and shrugged off his jacket, but frowned when he had a little trouble with his cufflink. Jack hurried down the stairs and removed the cufflink for him, tucking it in his own pocket.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Gwen asked, concern marking her features.

“I’m fine,” Ianto told her, offering a smile as Owen swabbed the crook of his arm before inserting the needle.

“Don’t worry, Gwen,” said Jack, winking. “He’s easily got a few days before his hand falls off and the rest of him turns purple.”

Gwen looked scandalized. “Jack, this could be serious!”

“It’s not a deadly poison,” Ianto assured her, still smiling. “I’ll be just fine. Owen’s going to work on an antidote.”

“But we still can’t be sure what the poison will do to you, love.”

“Tosh said it’s different with each person,” Jack explained. “She’ll brief us all when she gets in, but she told me not to worry.”

“That’s enough for me,” Ianto replied. Gwen still didn’t look convinced.

Once Owen had set Ianto’s blood sample aside, Jack helped him refasten his shirt cuff and pull his suit jacket back on. Owen and Jack then headed down into the cells to obtain a sample from the alien as well. Ianto watched them from the CCTV feed in Jack’s office. The Raspotahn hadn’t moved from the spot where he’d left it, and it was still looking repentant. They used tranquilizers to ensure there would be no other incidents.

When they returned Owen started a blood analysis and Ianto headed down into the archives to see if he could find any files on the Raspotahn that Jack wasn’t familiar with. He wasn’t very hopeful, but he couldn’t stand to just stand around awaiting his fate.

By the time Tosh arrived Ianto had come to no less than four dead ends, and he emerged from the archives a short time later with a small headache and a throbbing hand. He found the technician at her computer, furiously typing away and compiling documentation.

“How are you feeling, Tosh?” he asked, noticing she appeared tired and a bit drawn.

“I’m alright, Ianto,” she replied, smiling up at him. “I should be asking you the same thing.”

Ianto glanced at his hand, shrugging. “It’s not so bad. As long as I don’t move it.”

“Oh my!”

“I’m teasing, Tosh. It’s fine, really.”

She nudged his side with her shoulder, going back to her work. “Can you let Jack know I’m just about ready?”

“Of course.”

He made his way over to the captain’s office and passed on the message, before heading to the kitchen to prepare some coffee for their meeting. As he carried the drinks to the conference room he felt a twinge in his hand. Perhaps his answer to Tosh hadn’t been so far off the mark after all. 

“Here, let me help you with that,” Gwen insisted, removing the tray from his hands as he started through the door.

“Thank you, Gwen,” Ianto replied, nodding.

Gwen set out the mugs of coffee as Ianto settled into his chair. He looked up as Tosh entered, carrying a stack of folders. She smiled sweetly at him. He smiled back, flexing his hand gently. It was definitely still sore, but the drugs Owen had given him had taken effect and dulled the pain significantly. 

“Why don’t you fill us in on more of what you found out?” Jack asked Toshiko.

“Of course. I took the opportunity to print out copies of One’s notes when I got in,” she stated, handing out the files. “There were three cases. Two field agents at one time and a third a few years later. The first two were trying to extract a tooth from the creature and didn’t realize the saliva was poisonous. The creature was under anesthesia. The third was infected while killing one of the aliens. Bodily fluids went everywhere.”

Ianto opened his file, looking to see if there were any names he recognized. There weren’t. But then again, he didn’t know that many field agents during the time he’d worked there.

“What was the most severe case?” asked Owen.

“Well,” Tosh replied, clearing her throat, “that’s the interesting part.”

“How so?” Gwen asked.

“According to One’s files, one of the instances resulted in…a pregnancy.”

Ianto’s head snapped up. “She was impregnated by a Raspotahn?”

Tosh’s eyes flitted from Ianto to Jack, and back again. “No. The attack left certain markers inside the agent that made changes to body chemistry.”

“So, she became more fertile?” Gwen ventured.

“You could say that,” Tosh replied. “They didn’t think anything was wrong at first, but not long after the incident, Ronald Smith became impregnated by his boyfriend.”

Ianto’s mouth fell open and he looked at Jack. Jack’s eyes were wide and he was staring at Tosh with a dumbfounded expression.

Damn.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, what you’re saying is, Jack and the Tea Boy can’t shag for a while.”

“Owen!” Gwen chastised, shaking her head.

“Actually, he’s right. I really wouldn’t advise it,” said Tosh, giving Jack and Ianto an apologetic smile. “Until Owen can create an antidote, that is.”

“Thank the bloody heavens,” Owen exclaimed. “Maybe then I won’t walk in on them in the act. Nearly had to wash my eyes with acid last time.”

Ianto blushed, remembering that moment all too well. The team was gone for the night, or so they’d thought, and he and Jack had been discussing the budget in the captain’s office. For some reason Ianto going over facts and figures had made Jack hot. The next thing he knew Jack had stripped and was bent over his desk, pleading with Ianto to take him. Who was he to argue with the boss?

“Just admit it, Owen,” Jack countered. “You loved it.”

“Like I love a Weevil attack,” Owen retorted.

“How long will it take you to make the antidote?” Gwen asked Owen, effectively changing the course of the conversation.

“Hopefully not long.” Owen looked down at his file. “Tosh, are there any notes in here about One’s work on an anti-toxin?”

“Very few,” she replied, frowning. “Which surprised me. They weren’t able to come up with a viable formula, but it doesn’t seem they worked on it very long.”

“Too many projects on the go at one time,” advised Ianto. “Until close to the end they didn’t spend many resources focused on any one project. I don’t suppose an antidote to a poison would be any different.”

“The field agents who were first infected were Chloe Meyer and Phillip Downey. They suffered from what appeared to be mild symptoms; nausea and vomiting, a bit of a fever. Nothing that a simple stomach virus couldn’t account for.” Tosh flipped a page in her file. “I can understand that there’d be no real need for worry after the symptoms disappeared. But with Mr. Smith, the Raspotahn completely changed his body chemistry. He was able to not only conceive, but also to carry his baby to term. It was put up for adoption after the birth.”

“But we don’t know what symptoms Ianto will show,” said Gwen. “Maybe he’ll be fine.”

“We can assume based on One’s records that any changes or symptoms will begin to surface within the next few days,” Tosh told them, closing her file. “Until then we wait.”

“And study the blood samples I took from both Ianto and our guest,” said Owen, getting to his feet. “If we’re done here I’d like to get back to it.”

Jack nodded. “Please do. Gwen, if you could continue to monitor the police chatter. I want to make sure no one encountered the alien that we’re not aware of. The last thing we need is an influx of male pregnancies all over Cardiff.”

“Will do, Jack.”

“And Tosh, thank you for doing all this research. You never fail to amaze me with your thoroughness.”

Tosh blushed. “Thank you, Jack.”

The others filed out of the room one by one and Ianto began clearing the table. Jack touched his arm and Ianto paused, mug in one hand and the tray in the other.

“I was hoping we could talk for a minute,” Jack told him, a look of concern on his face.

Ianto nodded, placing the tray back on the table and setting the mug on top of it. He took his seat again and Jack did the same. He waited for Jack to speak.

“I think it’s a given we’re going to have to change things for a while,” Jack said after a moment. “While male pregnancies are all the rage starting in the 47th century, I don’t think this time and place is quite ready yet.”

Ianto smiled. “Understood, sir. One Jack Harkness is almost more than this city can handle as it is.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

“Absolutely. I’ll add condoms with spermicidal cream to my next Tesco run.” He stood and started to reach for another mug when Jack cleared his throat. He glanced at Jack with a raised eyebrow.

“Actually, I was thinking it would probably be best if we refrained from sex altogether,” Jack explained, looking determined. “We can’t risk even the smallest possibility that you could get pregnant.”

“Jack,” he said, foregoing formality, “there’s also the possibility that I won’t have the same reaction to the Raspotahn’s saliva as Ronald Smith. I may just become ill, or perhaps have no reaction whatsoever.”

“Maybe, but I’m not going to willfully put you in danger. Male pregnancies aren’t easy.”

“And what about me being on top?” Ianto asked, folding his arms. “I couldn’t possibly get pregnant like that, though I don’t claim to be an expert.”

Jack sighed. “Ianto, I just don’t want to tempt fate.”

“So you would rather be abstinent than have safe sex.” Jack was silent for a moment and Ianto sighed, picking up a mug and examining it. “Oh. I see. You just wouldn’t be having sex with me.”

He felt his gut clench at the thought, but he had to acknowledge that Jack had never promised him fidelity. After all, wasn’t Jack from a time without quaint little categories? Why had he assumed that he could tame the man? There was no way of knowing whether or not Jack had been sleeping with other people the entire time they’d been involved, and he’d never had the nerve to ask.

Jack moved quickly and pulled him into his arms, yanking the mug out of his hand and lowering it to the table with a thump. “Ianto, stop.”

“I’m just doing my job, sir.”

“I mean stop this. Stop jumping to conclusions.”

“Was I?” Ianto asked.

“Yes.” Jack tilted his chin up, forcing Ianto to look him in the eye. “I’m not planning on sleeping with anyone else. What do you take me for?”

“A man with needs.”

Jack scowled. “And therefore I’m going to cheat on you?”

“It’s not cheating if we’ve never committed to being monogamous.”

The look that crossed Jack’s face was a mixture of hurt and disbelief, followed by stubborn defiance. He let go of Ianto and backed away a step, lifting his chin. “Does this mean you’ve slept with other people since we’ve been together?”

Ianto adapted a similar look of insolence. “Are we? Together?”

“Answer the question.”

“You first.”

“Yes!” Jack said loudly, just shy of shouting. “Yes, we are. Now have you cheated on me or not?”

“Of course not!” Ianto exclaimed, huffing in frustration. “I was just trying to give you an out if you’d been with other people. I don’t have any interest in sleeping around, Jack!”

The captain’s face softened, his brow furrowing in what Ianto could only describe as relief. When Jack’s arms once more wound around him Ianto went willingly, burying his face in the crook of Jack’s neck.

“I’ve haven’t slept with anyone but you since we started this whole thing,” Jack murmured, holding him tight. “And I meant what I said. I have no plans to do so.”

Ianto hugged him a few moments longer and then pulled away. He smiled and kissed the captain softly. “Good. Why don’t we plan for you to come to mine tonight, then?”

“Ianto…”

“Just to spend time together. We haven’t had a night away in quite a while. I think it’s put us both on edge.”

“I’m not so sure it’s a good idea,” Jack argued. “We might be far too tempted to take things further.”

“I think ‘might’ is an understatement,” Ianto said, chuckling. “But I’d still like to have you there. What happens if I sprout a second head in the middle of the night? I’ll need you for moral support.”

Jack laughed, kissing him on the forehead. “Alright. But just to spend time together.”

“As that’s settled, I need to clean this mess before stains set in.”

Jack snorted, holding his hands up in defeat. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just go read some reports.”

“You do that, sir.”

He watched Jack leave the room, and when he was out sight, Ianto slumped back into the chair. He’d never admitted to himself how much Jack sleeping around would have broken him. But he had no reason to doubt the man’s conviction, and now that he knew Jack had been faithful a weight he wasn’t even aware existed before lifted from his heart.

After a couple minutes of deep introspection Ianto once more got to his feet and started cleaning up the boardroom.


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto sat in front of the alien’s cell, watching it eat. The others had volunteered to take over his feeding duties but he’d waved them away, stating it was his responsibility and he wasn’t going to shirk it just because he’d been bitten.

“Getting back on the horse,” Toshiko had teased him.

He’d agreed. He knew the creature hadn’t meant to hurt him. In fact, when he’d gone back into the vaults with more food that evening he’d noted that the Hobnobs had been devoured. Nothing was left but a mess of wrapper and smeared chocolate. Apparently the Raspotahn had never been given chocolate before, which both agitated and intrigued its sensibilities.

“It’s alright,” Ianto told it, once he’d replaced the tray of food and water. The alien was watching him closely, evidently unsure how he would react after their last encounter. It was sitting in the back corner, not approaching the tray. “I’m not mad.”

The alien tilted its head as if listening closely. After a few moments it inched forward, heading for the tray. It never stood, instead choosing to hunch along. Ianto wasn’t sure if that was because it was nervous or because it was giving him respect by not getting to its full height. Either way he found it interesting.

Ianto hadn’t yet made his Tesco run, so there were no biscuits on offer. Instead he’d sliced up an apple, wondering how the Raspotahn would feel about fresh fruit. It seemed to be a hit, if the way the alien snatched each piece up and wolfed down it down was any indication.

“That’s good, is it?” Ianto asked, smiling. “Plenty more where that came from. Maybe even another chocolate biscuit tomorrow.”

The alien gave him what he swore was a grin, but since he wasn’t familiar with its race he couldn’t say for sure. It looked happy, though, which made him happy as well. He couldn’t imagine being a slave. Not that being cooped up in a cell was much better. He hoped they’d be able to find out a little more information so they could make a decision about its fate.

“Can’t go having you biting the entire population, can we?” The Raspotahn frowned. Ianto was pretty sure about that one. “I know, you didn’t mean to. It’s alright.”

An alarm sounded to indicate what Ianto assumed was a rift alert, and the alien covered its ears. Ianto hadn’t even been sure where its ears were, until now. He got to his feet, hurrying from the vaults and heading up into the Hub proper.

“What do you have, Tosh?” Jack asked as he hurried to her side.

“Looks like a Weevil. No, correction, make that several Weevils.”

“How many are we talking about?” Jack and Gwen were already heading to the armory.

“Five. Five Weevils, all in Splott.”

Owen groaned. “Seriously? Can’t they find another bloody hangout? Say, one with a little more taste? Less…Splottish?”

Jack returned and handed him Weevil spray and a stun gun. “But then where’s the fun in that?” he asked, grinning. He turned to Ianto. “You up to hunting some wabbits?”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “If by wabbits you mean wascally Weevils, then yes, sir, I am.”

Gwen stifled a giggle and gave Ianto one of her cans of Weevil spray. “Jack, should the whole team head out on this one?”

“I’m pretty sure the four of us can handle it. What do you think, Tosh? Man the computers or come hunting with us?”

“As much as I love a nice romp through the wet streets of Splott, Jack, these Weevils are moving quickly. Someone’s going to need to guide you there.”

Jack nodded. “Alright then, we take two cars. We’re going to need the SUV, but the Audi has a nice size boot as well. Toshiko, send the coordinates to the SUV and also Ianto’s PDA.”

Ianto sighed. He hated bringing his car on missions. Somehow it always ended up muddy with two or more unknown substances seeping into the seats. It would take him the better part of the next day to clean both vehicles. He wasn’t looking forward to it.

A couple of minutes later and they were headed out. Gwen drove with Ianto while Owen drove with Jack. When the Audi arrived at the first coordinates they found two Weevils ambling along the street, seemingly unconcerned that it was getting dark and people were making their way out of the local businesses to head home for the day. Ianto had to assume these Weevils were young, wanting to play in the damp streets rather than attack unsuspecting passersby.

“They’re small,” Gwen remarked as they got out of the car. “Adolescents?”

“That was my first thought,” Ianto replied, grabbing the cans of spray from the back as well as a couple of black cloaks. He tossed the latter over his shoulder as they inched along behind the Weevils. He handed Gwen her spray and activated his comms. “We’ve got two on Muirton Road, heading for the park.”

“The third is up ahead of you, Ianto,” Toshiko said in their ears. “It doesn’t seem to be moving very fast. Not like the others.”

“We’re on it,” said Gwen.

“If we follow them we might be able to corner all three in the park,” Ianto told her.

“There might be children around, though, Ianto,” Gwen argued. “We should try to get these two captured before they reach the third.”

He thought for a moment. “Good thinking, Gwen. I’ve got the one on the left.”

Ianto increased his stride, gaining on the Weevil in front of him. When it finally sensed his presence it stopped and hissed, turning around and ambling towards him. After getting a good look at it Ianto knew he and Gwen were correct; these two were young.

“That’s it,” he said, getting a firm hold on his can of spray. “Just a little closer.”

The Weevil in front of him started to blur slightly and Ianto shook his head, trying to clear his vision. It didn’t work and he stumbled, barely catching his own fall with his left arm as he went down.

“Ianto!” A hand landed on his shoulder. “Love, are you alright?”

He could hear Gwen calling to him but it sounded fuzzy. “The Weevils,” he mumbled, his hand clenching around the spray to keep it from rolling away. “Got to…”

“Jack, Ianto’s down. I don’t know what’s wrong.”

He couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation and realized the fall had dislodged his earpiece. He fumbled for it but couldn’t seem to coordinate his movements. He groaned, trying to get his hands under him. A searing pain shot up his left arm and he dropped back down.

There was a thud beside him and he came face to face with one of the Weevils, its teeth bared in a grimace. For a moment he wondered if it had suffered whatever fate had been dealt to him before its head was covered with a cloth.

“It’s okay, Ianto,” Gwen said soothingly, dropping to her knees beside him and the Weevil. Her hand was back on his shoulder again. “Jack and Owen are on their way.”

“M’fine.”

“No, love, you’re not. Owen will take you back to the Hub and Jack and I will get the rest of these Weevils.”

Ianto thought he nodded but really couldn’t be sure. His head was swimming and his vision wasn’t much better. His arm hurt worse than he could ever remember and he couldn’t be certain which way was up. He moaned, feeling completely useless.

The body beside him was dragged away several minutes later. Or it could have been an hour. All Ianto knew was that the alien with the foul breath and long fangs was no longer lying beside him, which made him much more comfortable. When he felt a sharp prick to his right arm he yelped, mumbling threats to whoever had dared to assault him.

“Yeah, yeah. You and what army, Tea Boy? Help me get him up, Harkness.”

He felt arms around his back and then someone tugged him closer. Jack. He’d know that smell anywhere. He smiled, leaning into the body beside him and taking a long sniff.

“Smell good…” he mumbled, letting himself be moved along the street and then up onto the sidewalk.

“Save it for the bedroom,” Owen growled, draping one of the Weevil cloaks around him. “Help me get him into the car and then you and Gwen can go do what you need to do.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Jack asked, tightening his grip on Ianto’s waist when the Welshman stumbled.

“Looks like it’s a sprain, luckily. Nothing’s broken. As for why he fell, I’ve no idea. I’ll have to run tests.”

The door to the car was opened and the next thing Ianto knew he was seated in the passenger side. He turned his head groggily. “Kiss?”

“Oi.”

“Just a quick one,” Jack told him, leaning in to place a soft kiss to his lips. “Let Owen get you back to the Hub. I’ll be back to check on you when I can.”

Ianto attempted a nod and then let his head rest against the seat. He was so very tired.

When he awoke again he was laying on the Hub sofa, one arm in a sling and the doctor sitting on the table facing him. He frowned. That wasn’t a face he wanted to see when he opened his eyes.

“Welcome back,” said Owen, lifting a hand to Ianto’s forehead. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been run over by a lorry,” Ianto replied. “What happened?”

“According to Gwen you were both in pursuit of two Weevils; you started slurring your speech, stumbled, and the next thing she knew you were crumpled in the street. That’s where we found you, by the way.”

Ianto tried to shift on the couch and felt a pain slam through him. “Ow.”

“You sprained your arm, Ianto,” Owen said, prodding at the arm in question. “You must have fallen on it. How’s the pain on a level of one to ten?”

“An eight, I suppose,” answered Ianto, grimacing. 

“I’ll get you another dose of pain meds.”

The doctor got up and headed across the Hub towards his medical bay. Ianto sighed. It wasn’t like him to get injured so easily. He was always so careful. He couldn’t imagine what had caused him to stumble. And slurring his speech? What was that about?

When the medic returned Ianto eyed the needle in his hand. He really couldn’t stand the things. But who was he to argue when it would help him feel better in the long run?”

“It’s a smaller dose,” Owen advised, tapping the needle before inserting it into the skin of Ianto’s forearm. His jacket had been removed and his shirt cuff was rolled up. “Just gave you the other one a few hours ago so we don’t want to overdo it.”

“A few hours ago?” Ianto asked. “How long have I been here?”

“A little over three hours,” Owen replied. “The others are off chasing the Weevils we had to abandon when you took your fall.”

“Sorry.”

Toshiko stepped into Ianto’s vision and smiled down at him. “I brought you some water, Ianto. I thought you might be thirsty.”

He returned her smile and reached up with his right hand, taking the glass. Drinking quickly he closed his eyes. Water just shouldn’t taste this good. He must be thirstier than he’d even realized.

“Wow,” she said, taking the empty glass from him. “Would you like some more?”

Before he could answer in the affirmative Owen shook his head. “You’re going to have to take it slow, Jones. We don’t know what’s going on in that body of yours.”

Ianto frowned. “Thanks anyway, Tosh.”

“My pleasure.”

She walked away and Ianto turned his head to look at Owen again. “What do you think happened?”

“It’s too soon to know for sure, but I’m taking bets on the Raspotahn’s bite.”

“You think I’m getting sick like the others from Torchwood One?”

“It’s a good bet. I drew some blood when we got back to the Hub but I’m still waiting for the results.”

“At least it’s my left arm that I injured. I do far too much with my right hand to have it out of commission.”

Owen’s face wrinkled in disgust. “There are some things I just don’t need to know.”

Ianto smiled, shifting on the couch. He wasn’t very comfortable, but it was either the couch or the metal table in Owen’s lair. He didn’t suppose the good doctor would be very keen on him attempting to climb down into Jack’s bunker.

The proximity alarm went off, announcing the return of their other teammates. Owen went off to help bring in the captured Weevils and Ianto took the moment to think. What kind of alien bug could have caused him to lose complete control the way he had? And was it going to happen again? He couldn’t risk being out in the field again if he was a danger to himself and to others. Not that he’d likely be there for at least several weeks, he realized, glaring down at his sprained arm. Perhaps whatever he’d contracted from the Raspotahn would be gone by then.

It was quite some time later before Jack bounded over to him, coat billowing behind him. “Hey there.”

“Hey yourself,” Ianto replied, smiling.

“Gave us quite a scare earlier,” said Jack, sitting down in the same spot the medic had vacated.

“Sorry, sir.”

“No need to be sorry, Ianto. We’re just worried about you, that’s all. It’s not like you to have a flair for the dramatic.”

Ianto chuckled. “I suppose not.”

“Owen thinks this is related to the bite,” Jack told him, face suddenly serious. “How were you feeling before we headed out to Splott?”

“Fine, actually. I didn’t notice anything wrong until we were tracking the Weevils.”

“What happened?”

“My vision went blurry, and I think I remember falling.” He frowned. “Not much else I can recall. Gwen’s voice was a bit fuzzy though. I remember that.”

“Owen’s going to be monitoring you for a while. Are the pain meds working?”

“Yes,” Ianto replied. “He just gave me another dose. Felt much better immediately.”

“That’s good.” Jack leaned forward and placed a hand on his knee. “We’re going to have to keep you out of the field until your arm heals.”

“I’d figured that,” Ianto assured him.

“And you won’t be able to stay the night here at the Hub.”

“Climbing ladders one handed seems just a bit treacherous, sir.”

Jack smiled. “I’m not going to keep you away from work, though, Ianto. I know you’d go stir crazy at home. I was thinking we could just cut down your duties. Narrow it down to some paperwork, coffee, the small things.”

“There won’t be any amazing back flips and trapeze work, I’m afraid.”

Jack grinned, squeezing his knee before getting to his feet. “You rest for a while, and when you’re ready I’ll drive you home.”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “Still coming to mine tonight, then?”

“I told you I would, didn’t I?” Jack asked. “Besides, I’m not sticking you in a cab.”

“Perhaps we could stop by the shop on the way home? I’ve not yet made the Tesco run and we’re low on supplies.”

“Not a problem.” Jack turned to leave and then paused, turning back around. “You’re going to be alright, Ianto.”

The Welshman took in the concerned look on the captain’s face. “Of course I will, sir.”

Jack nodded and headed for his office. Ianto watched him go, brow furrowing. He’d seen Jack upset before. He’d even seen him angry. But it was very rare to see him looking so worried. He didn’t like putting that look on his face and he’d do anything to take it away. He hoped that Owen would be able to give him some good news once the results of his blood work were back.

According to his watch it was an hour or so before Owen returned to check on him. He’d apparently fallen asleep again as the doctor had to wake him.

“Alright, mate? I’ve got your blood work back.”

“That was quick.”

Owen smirked. “Jack told me what you told him in regards to your symptoms. You’ve a fever, which I’m guessing could be the culprit. Nothing in your blood is any different than the sample I ran this morning, however, so if there’s a virus or bacteria at work here it’s taking its time to manifest.”

“But it’s still a possibility the bite is responsible?”

“It’s a possibility, but you also may have contracted something before the incident and it’s just been dormant. We’ll know more after a few days.”

Ianto nodded. “Not putting me on bed rest, then?”

Owen scoffed. “For a sprained arm and a fever? If I gave bed rest to every patient with a boo boo, Tea Boy, I’d be the laughing stock of the medical world.”

“And we wouldn’t want that.”

“No, we bloody wouldn’t.”

Ianto watched the doctor as he walked toward the captain’s office, evidently going to fill him in on the results. Ianto wanted to be glad that there was nothing apparently wrong with him, but he couldn’t help the nagging feeling that they were missing something. What if the effects were just beginning to show? Would the rest be more severe?

A few moments later Jack appeared at his side once more as Owen headed back across the Hub. “Ready to go?”

“If you are,” Ianto replied, trying to sit up. He found it much harder than expected.

“Here, let me,” said Jack, reaching a hand out so Ianto could grab it.

Getting to his feet, Ianto smiled. “Thank you.”

“I can bring the car around if it’s easier.”

Ianto scowled. “I’m not an invalid, sir. I’m quite sure I can walk down to the garage.”

Jack held his hands up. “Sorry, sorry! Just trying to make things simpler for you.”

“I know,” said Ianto, sighing. “And I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m not sure where that came from.”

“It’s probably the fever talking,” Jack replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. “We do and say strange things when we’re sick.”

“And when was the last time you were sick, sir?”

“It’s been a while.”

They collected Ianto’s things from his workstation and headed for the exit to the garage. Ianto nodded in Toshiko’s and Gwen’s direction and they each gave him a smile.

“Owen gave me your pain meds,” said Jack, pulling a bottle from his trousers pocket and shaking it gently. “He was going to give you them to take home for the bite anyway, and now there’s just one more reason to take them.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “He loves giving out medication. I think it’s a power thing.”

Jack laughed, helping into the passenger side of the Audi. “I think you may be right.”

Jack got into the driver’s side, started the car, and they were off.


	5. Chapter 5

The next two weeks became much of a blur for Ianto. After the touch of dizziness leading to the injured arm, he’d had several days respite, but it wasn’t long at all before he was suffering from what he knew were the results of his encounter with the Raspotahn – who they, annoyingly enough, had still yet to name. He wasn’t far off from just calling it Bob and being done with it – and his body wouldn’t allow him more than a couple of hours rest.

On a now typical day consisting of nothing but feeling nauseous and fatigued he was lying on the Hub’s couch yet again, but this time with a cold cloth over his forehead. “I can’t take it, sir,” he groaned, eyes closed. “Just shoot me.”

“I wouldn’t want to dirty the floor,” Jack replied, humor in his voice. He was standing at the other end of the couch while Owen knelt by Ianto’s side, taking his blood pressure. “I know a Welshman who’d be none too happy with me.”

Ianto groaned again. “I think he might forgive you just this once.”

“I’d rather not take the chance,” said Jack.

“Blood pressure is slightly elevated,” Owen told them, getting to his feet. “Same thing as yesterday and the day before. Only I can’t figure a reason for it.”

Ianto opened his eyes, squinting. “Perhaps some blood pressure medication?”

Owen shook his head. “I’m not convinced that’s not just a symptom. It shouldn’t be causing nausea and certainly not this exhaustion. All I can do is run more tests.”

Ianto groaned and Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. “What about a scan? Maybe there’s something we’re just not seeing.”

“The Bekaran scanner?” Owen asked. Jack nodded. “I can’t see why it would hurt. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Jack took the doctor’s place at Ianto’s side, sliding his hand down Ianto’s right arm and reaching for his hand. Ianto let their fingers entwine for a moment before his eyes went wide and he ripped his hand away, pointing to the rubbish bin sitting nearby.

Jack knew the code and grabbed the bin, holding it up for Ianto just a fraction of a second before the Welshman vomited. When the medic returned they were still in the same place, Jack offering a few word of sympathy while Ianto heaved and gagged.

“Again?” Owen asked, shaking his head. “Take your time. We’re not in a hurry.”

Ianto pulled back far enough from the plastic-lined bin to glare at the doctor. “Believe me,” he said, clearing his throat, “I would much rather avoid the vomiting at all costs.”

Jack handed him a paper towel and Ianto took it gratefully, wiping his face before dropping the towel in the bin and lying back against the side of the couch where Jack had generously provided a pillow from his bed. When he was offered a bottle of water, however, Ianto waved it away.

“It only serves to make it worse,” he explained.

“If you wouldn’t mind?” Owen said, indicating with his head that Jack should move out of the way.

Jack got to his feet and backed away, folding his arms across his chest, while Owen fiddled with the contraption in his hands. After apparently adjusting it to his satisfaction the doctor turned it on, guiding it slowly over Ianto from head to feet.

Owen frowned, and Ianto raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“I’m not done yet, Tea Boy,” Owen replied, running the scanner over him again. “Give it a minute.”

Ianto sighed, trying to relax into the couch. It wasn’t easy, as the couch was threadbare at best and it smelled a bit. He made a mental notation to find the upholstery cleaner once he was feeling better.

The scanner went over him once more, and then again. Finally Owen lifted it away from him. The frown hadn’t left his face.

“What’s wrong, Owen?” Jack asked, stepping closer. “What did you see?”

“There’s something weird showing up on the scan. It shouldn’t be there.”

“An abnormality?” guessed Ianto. “Could the bite have caused it?”

“Tosh, be a love and come over here for a minute, would you?” Owen asked.

Toshiko looked up from her screens and turned to face them. “I’m sorry, what did you say, Owen?”

“I need a second pair of eyes.”

The tech looked surprised but got to her feet, moving over to Owen’s side and sliding her glasses on to take a closer look at the screen he was showing her. “And what is that, exactly?” she asked, looking up at the rest of them. “Is it what’s making Ianto so sick?”

Owen sighed. “As far as I can tell, Tosh, in all likelihood it is, yes. I was hoping you’d be able to help me confirm what we’re looking at.”

“Oh, you’re much more proficient with that thing than I am, Owen,” she said, smiling.

“Obviously,” he replied.

“Let me see,” said Jack, closing in on Owen’s other shoulder. He took one look at the scanner and then looked back down at Ianto. “That’s impossible.”

“What’s impossible?” Ianto asked, confusion coloring his face. Jack just looked at him, brows furrowing as if he were angry. “What? Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”

“Jack?” asked Tosh.

“What did you do, Ianto?” Jack asked, leaning closer to him.

“What’s everyone so upset about?” Gwen said from the main level of the Hub. She’d evidently just come in and no one had even noticed the proximity klaxon blaring. “I could hear raised voiced before the door even opened.”

“I don’t understand,” Ianto replied, swallowing. “Owen?”

“According to this scanner,” Owen said, the hint of a smile curving his lips, “you’re pregnant. Congratulations, you’re going to be a father.”

Ianto’s eyes went wide and he grabbed at the bin, throwing up until there was nothing left of the small breakfast he’d had before he’d come into work that day. He was left with dry heaves and when Tosh offered him the same bottle Jack had offered previously he finally took it, sipping slowly.

“That’s not possible,” he said. “I can’t…we didn’t…?”

Jack shook his head and turned his back on them, storming into his office. He didn’t slam the door, which Ianto took as a very good sign, but a moment later the captain came walking back out, wearing his coat. He didn’t say a word as he passed them, clamoring down the stairs and out the cog wheel door before Ianto could quite grasp what was happening.

“I still don’t understand,” Gwen said softly. “Where’s Jack going? What are you using the scanner for? Ianto, are you ill again, love?”

Ianto closed his eyes and sank deeper into the couch. His stomach was still threatening upheaval, his friends were crowded around him in a mess of confusion, and Jack had just disappeared to go who knew where. This day had just gone from bad to horribly worse, and he had no idea how to fix it.

Once Ianto was able to get up from the couch without the room tilting in on him, he headed for the kitchen, figuring the team could use some coffee. Owen was back down in his lair, waiting for Ianto to feel well enough for some other tests, Tosh and Gwen were at their workstations, and Jack still hadn’t returned.

As he filled four cups for himself and his coworkers he contemplated the results Owen had given him. He couldn’t be pregnant. He and Jack hadn’t so much as kissed on the lips since being told pregnancy was a possible side effect of contact with the alien’s saliva. In fact, just the idea that his body could have been so drastically changed in such a way to allow for a pregnancy to occur at all was more than enough to curb his sexual appetite, regardless of his agreeing with Jack about not being able to control their desires.

He carried the tray of coffees to his friends, stopping first at the top of the stairs to the medical bay. He carefully made his way down, placing a mug at Owen’s elbow.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he told the medic, getting a grunt as his only reply. It really didn’t take the doctor long to become engrossed in something new.

He headed back up the stairs and then up to the workstations, handing Toshiko her coffee and giving the other to Gwen. He smiled at their thanks and started to walk away.

“Oh, Ianto?” called Gwen, stopping him before he left.

“Yes?”

“Jack’s not back yet, is he?”

Ianto shook his head. “Not yet, no.”

“Okay,” she said, pointing to the last mug of coffee on the tray. “Who’s that for, then?”

Ianto looked down, confused. “It’s mine, Gwen.”

Gwen put her own mug down on the desk and gave him an apologetic smile. “You can’t drink it, love. You’re pregnant.”

Ianto stood there a moment, letting that sink in, before his face fell. He licked his lips, swallowed the lump in his throat, and looked back up at his teammate. She shook her head gently, grimaced, and then looked back down at her paperwork. Ianto walked straight back to the kitchen and poured the coffee down the drain.

He stood there for several minutes after he’d washed the last of the brown liquid out of the sink, staring at the tray on the counter and the lone mug sitting atop it. For a split second he had the overwhelming urge to throw the mug at a wall so he could watch all the pieces fall apart. It seemed symbolic.

Gripping the edge of the counter in both hands he closed his eyes, leaning over the sink and catching his breath before he found himself doing irrevocable damage. He couldn’t be pregnant. He knew he couldn’t. Not based on everything he’d been taught growing up, and everything he’d ever read. Surely his father’s sex talk couldn’t have been that far off the mark? Not even as drunk as he’d been when he’d given it.

All the denial in the world wasn’t going to do him any good, however, until he went down to talk to Owen. He groaned, not wanting to do it. He didn’t feel very well, he had just wasted a mug of his favorite coffee, and he really didn’t want confirmation of something that he knew to be impossible. He was not Mary, and he was not going to have a virgin pregnancy. The very thought made him want to laugh. And where the hell was Jack?

Frustrated, Ianto opened his eyes. Taking one last look at the offending mug – he would clean it later – he left the kitchen, straightening his tie. He reached to tug down on his jacket but realized he wasn’t wearing it. Right, he’d taken it off before he’d lain down. Being so sick was making him forgetful. It was surely still lying across the back of the couch where he’d left it.

Taking a deep breath Ianto headed out of the kitchen and down to the medical bay, hesitating a few moments at the top of the stairs. He glanced down at his watch. It was after one. Jack had been gone for hours, lunch hadn’t been ordered, and he was starting to feel queasy again.

“Don’t hover in doorways, Jones, it’s rude.”

“There isn’t a door,” he argued, starting down the steps.

“Rule stands,” Owen replied, shrugging, before he moved to a cabinet and started removing supplies he would need. “On the table and shirt sleeve rolled up. You know the drill.”

“Do I?” Ianto asked, feeling the nerves hit him full force. He looked up, hoping to see Jack standing at the railing. But there was only empty space. “There is a first time for everything.”

Owen turned to look at him, expression softening just slightly. “I know.” He stepped closer to the table and stuck a thermometer under Ianto’s tongue, then sighed. “Trust me, I know.”


	6. Chapter 6

It was half past seven in the evening when the proximity alarm finally announced the captain’s return to the Hub. The rest of the team was just starting to head home. Ianto had already waved off their concerns regarding leaving him alone, telling them that if he felt sick again he knew where the bins were, and if Jack didn’t return that night he’d have simply slept on the couch. Evidently that wouldn’t be an issue.

The captain greeted Tosh and Gwen as he passed them by, headed Ianto’s way. Ianto glanced up from the paperwork he’d been completing in Jack’s office. He hadn’t been sure Jack wanted to talk to him. Ianto couldn’t say he blamed him. Neither of them was ready to be a father, and as Jack had said, male pregnancies were difficult. This was the last thing they both needed. But Ianto really wanted to explain what he’d found out. The captain was probably just as confused as he was.

“I’m surprised you’re still here,” said Jack as he entered the office.

Ianto sighed. “Where else would I be, sir?”

“You tell me.”

Ianto did look up then, puzzled. “I’m not sure I understand your meaning.”

Jack pushed the door closed behind him and stood with his arms crossed in front of him. “I’d have thought you’d be at the baby’s father’s house, giving him the news.”

Ianto’s jaw dropped. “What in the world are you playing at, Jack?” he asked, putting down the pen he’d been using. “We had this conversation already, remember? I’m not seeing anyone else.”

“We both know that’s not true, considering the fact that we’ve not slept together since before your run in with the alien.”

“Sixteen days,” Ianto stated, realizing now the real reason why Jack had taken off earlier.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s been sixteen days since we had sex.”

Jack frowned. “Okay, yes. Then it’s been sixteen days since we slept together, and your attack was after that.”

“By a day, sir. I was bitten fifteen days ago.”

Jack pushed away from the door and moved farther into the room, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked hurt, but not angry. That was an improvement. “You’re not making this any better, Ianto. Look, I told you I saw us in a relationship. I thought that’s what you wanted as well. If not, that’s fine.”

Ianto groaned and rubbed his face. “Owen ran more tests on me today, after you left. He confirmed with a blood test that my hormone levels show a pronounced level of hCG. I’m definitely pregnant.”

“I didn’t doubt that.”

“I wasn’t finished,” Ianto replied. The captain held up a hand and then gestured for him to continue. “When I told him I didn’t understand how I could possibly be pregnant since we hadn’t been intimate since before the incident, he asked me when the last time had been. I told him the night before. He explained to me that semen can live for several days after they’ve been released within a woman’s body. If ovulation occurs within a certain timeframe the woman can still conceive. That’s why a doctor will give the date of a woman’s ovulation as the conception date, and not the date she provides as having had intercourse. Our situation is no different, with the exception of the alien factor.”

Jack appeared to mull that over for a moment. “So what you’re saying is just because we didn’t have sex after you were bitten doesn’t mean we didn’t conceive this baby.”

“Yes. The Raspotahn’s saliva caused a reaction in my body that changed my chemical makeup, making it possible for me to ovulate and then to conceive.” Ianto got to his feet, moving slowly toward Jack. He was still worried he’d take off again. “This is your child, Jack. Yours, and mine.”

Jack let out a long sigh and drew Ianto closer, cupping his face in his hands and pressing a kiss to his lips. Ianto froze for a moment before finally letting himself melt into the embrace, wrapping his good arm loosely around Jack’s waist as the kiss deepened. When they broke apart Ianto looked over Jack’s shoulder, seeing Tosh and Gwen slowly making their way down and presumably out of the Hub.

“If you want to confirm it with Owen you might want to go now,” said Ianto, nodding toward the departing figures of his teammates. “It looks like they’re all leaving for the night.”

Jack smiled and shook his head. “That’s alright, Ianto. I believe you.”

Ianto licked his lips. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Ianto nearly sagged in relief. He’d been so upset by Jack’s reaction earlier that he’d not talked much to the others the rest of the day, preferring to isolate himself. Once Owen had confirmed the details of the conception Ianto had felt less confused, but no less worried. Even now, he was unsure how they would proceed. And he was more than a little hurt by Jack’s insinuation.

“So…where do we go from here?” he asked.

Jack smirked. “Well, we know you can’t get pregnant right now…”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “You want to have sex.”

“Don’t you?”

Ianto huffed. “Not particularly. I feel slightly nauseous, I’ve a sprained arm that still gives me issues, and until a few minutes ago you were ready to believe I’d had a baby with another man.”

Jack groaned, stepping away from Ianto and running a hand through his hair. “Look, Ianto, you have to understand how it looked. You were jittery about me sleeping around, and then suddenly you’re pregnant when we hadn’t even touched each other. It had all the signs of you feeling insecure because of your own indiscretions.”

“Are you reading women’s magazines, Jack?” Ianto put his hand on his hip. “I was not jittery!”

“Well I know that now.”

“And as soon as you realized I was telling the truth you wanted to jump back into bed? How about a little time for me to recover from you accusing me of sleeping with someone else?”

Jack lifted his chin. “You accused me of cheating first.”

“No, I didn’t, actually,” Ianto replied matter-of-factly. “I was under the impression we weren’t in a relationship and that you were free to sleep with whomever you chose. You were the one who said we were a couple and that it was a non-issue.”

“Oh, so you don’t want to be a couple then, is that it?” Jack threw up his hands. “I don’t even know what to think anymore, Ianto! What is it you want from me?”

“You know what, sir,” said Ianto, emphasizing the honorific, “I haven’t got a clue.”

Grabbing his wallet, mobile, and keys awkwardly in his good hand Ianto headed for the door, brushing past Jack on his way out. He was halfway past the workstations when Jack cleared his throat. Ianto paused, unsure what the man was going to say.

“You can’t drive, Ianto!”

Closing his eyes for a moment Ianto sighed. “Then I’ll call for a cab.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll take you home.”

Turning to look at him, Ianto shook his head. “There’s no need.”

“I insist,” said Jack, leaving his office and walking over to where he stood. 

Ianto wanted to protest further but he was becoming lightheaded and his stomach was roiling. If he were honest with himself the idea of sitting in a taxi with a stranger wasn’t an appealing one, seeing as he could potentially be sick at a moment’s notice.

“Alright.”

He let Jack take the keys from him and followed him through the Hub. They exited through the tourist office in silence. Ianto would have preferred the garage route as it was quicker, however they’d parked off the Plass that day instead, Jack having said that very morning that the cool air on their walk would do Ianto some good as he hadn’t been feeling well when they’d arrived.

When they go to the car Jack opened the door for him, helping him with his seatbelt as he had for the last two weeks. Ianto frowned, not liking the feeling of being an invalid. He liked it even less when he and Jack weren’t talking.

“Are you going to speak to me, or are we going to be silent for this whole trip?” the captain asked, turning the key in the ignition.

“I hadn’t thought there was much to say,” replied Ianto, turning to look out the window.

“I think there’s a whole lot to say.”

Ianto just hummed his reply. He didn’t like fighting with Jack. In fact, he didn’t like fighting with anyone. But this thing with Jack was especially difficult. They were coworkers, lovers, and now they were parents. How could they get through this pregnancy if they couldn’t even be civil to each other?

“Ianto.”

“Sir?”

“Look at me.”

Ianto did, convincing himself it was better than looking out at the scenery they had yet to move away from. He met Jack’s eyes, finding what looked like concern mixed with a small amount of fear.

“Ianto, we can’t do this.”

“We seem to be.”

“We have to be able to talk to each other.”

Ianto sighed. “Yeah?”

“Are you hungry?” Jack asked.

“Not really, no.”

“I’m starving. Rooftops aren’t great places to catch a bite to eat.”

Ianto frowned. “You stood on a rooftop the entire day?”

“Nowhere else to go,” replied Jack. “How ‘bout we pick up some takeaway on the way back to your place? If you’re not really hungry, that’s fine. But you might get hungry later, and we can have a meal and talk.”

Ianto nodded, figuring there was no use in arguing further. He turned to look back out the side window as Jack backed the car out of the space and then drove them out of the car park. As arranged, Jack stopped by for dinner on their way to the flat, picking up Chinese. The smell was enough to make Ianto want to vomit.

The moment Jack opened the door to Ianto’s flat, in fact, Ianto did just that. Luckily he was able to make it to the toilet in time. He dropped his wallet and phone on the counter, threw open the lid of the toilet, and spent the next few minutes in misery.

“Do you need any help?” Jack asked from outside the bathroom.

Ianto groaned. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”

He heard Jack in the kitchen a moment later and he closed his eyes. He hated being sick. As a child he’d wanted his mother there with him, and she always was, whispering soothing words to him. After she’d died he’d done everything within his power to avoid it. If he could keep himself from being sick now he would, but apparently his body had other ideas.

After feeling reasonably sure his stomach would stay put for a bit, Ianto cleaned up and made his way into the lounge. He found Jack sitting on his couch with his hands in his lap. The food was nowhere to be seen.

“What happened to you starving?” he asked, standing beside the sofa.

Jack smiled up at him. “I’m pretty sure the smell made you sick. I’ll wait. Food’s in the fridge, so it’s not going anywhere. Come, sit.”

Ianto hesitated a moment and Jack patted the seat beside him. Begrudgingly, Ianto made his way across the front of the couch and sat beside Jack, leaving a space between them. 

“I’m sorry I thought the worst of you today,” Jack told him, turning so they were facing each other. “I saw the scan and I didn’t know what to think.”

Ianto nodded, not sure he trusted himself to speak. The thought that Jack had believed he would go out and sleep with someone else, especially after they’d just talked about it, had hurt pretty deeply.

“Can you forgive me?”

Ianto looked down at the floor. “If we’re going to do this,” he said, speaking carefully, “I need to know you’re going to trust me.”

“I do, Ianto. Do you trust me?”

Ianto met Jack’s eyes again. “I always have. I just wasn’t sure how much I was allowed to expect.”

Jack’s face fell. “I’m sorry I didn’t make it more clear before all of this happened.”

“I suppose I could have asked.”

“We need to work on our communication,” Jack said, laughing softly. He sobered a moment later, reaching for Ianto’s hand. “Look, I want you to know I’m in this for the long haul. I’m not going to let you raise this child on your own.”

Ianto’s eyes widened. “Raise this child?” he asked, shaking his head. “Jack, I’ve no intention of keeping this baby.”

Jack let go of his hand. “What are you talking about?”

Ianto placed his hand on his stomach. “I was going to take a day or so to go over my options and then talk to Owen again.”

“You’re thinking of abortion?”

“It’s an option,” Ianto replied.

Jack got up from the couch, turning to face him. “Ianto…”

“The other option is giving the baby up when it’s born,” Ianto continued. “But I haven’t even talked to Owen about how a delivery would work.”

Jack was silent for a moment, just watching him. “You don’t want the baby.”

“Jack, we can’t have a baby at Torchwood.”

“We could if you wanted to.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“You could stay at the Hub, Ianto,” said Jack. “You don’t have to go out into the field.”

“No, Jack.”

“So your mind is made up.”

Ianto swallowed, not understanding why they were so far apart on this. “I don’t want to be a father, Jack.”

Jack’s mouth opened as if he was going to reply, but then he shut it again, sitting back down. It was several awkward moments before he spoke. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I think you’d make a great father.”

“Are you going to be okay with this?”

“It’s not my decision, Ianto. And you’ve already thought this through.”

Ianto nodded, suddenly not feeling as certain as he had when he’d come to the conclusion that morning that a baby was not where his life was heading. Could he really be someone’s father? Was he ready to change his life so completely? He knew it wasn’t fair to a child to be raised by someone who wasn’t one hundred percent ready and willing.

“I’m sorry, Jack.”


	7. Chapter 7

Despite the rocky beginning, their evening ran smoothly after their conversation. As Ianto’s stomach was feeling better they reheated the Chinese food and had a quiet dinner, then watched some evening television before calling it a night. Ianto had thought Jack would leave at that point, as he often did, but instead he stayed the night. There was no sex, as Ianto had meant what he said, but to his surprise Jack never even tried.

They drove into work the next morning and went about their normal ritual. Ianto made the first coffee of the day, still battling himself over whether or not he could have any. He’d not partaken of his favorite beverage since finding out he was pregnant, and it was a constant worry to him that he was doing everything in his power to ensure the safety of a child he wasn’t planning to keep. He told himself it was because the baby needed to be healthy for adoption. He supposed he’d decided against abortion after all.

When Owen arrived Ianto made a mental note to remember to ask him about his options, and find out everything he could about carrying his pregnancy full term. He wasn’t sure Owen was the best person to ask, since no one on the team besides the captain had ever seen a pregnant man, but he did have his years of medical experience and could at least provide him the basics.

After his morning chores were completed Ianto headed down into the archives for a couple hours. He hadn’t been able to do as much lately with his injured arm and unpredictable stomach, and the place was in desperate need of some work. He started with the newest cases and began to file them away, scowling when he saw a few files out of place and realized the archives were being mistreated during his absence.

He was well into some research on a case he’d meant to follow up on previously when he realized he was being watched. Looking up from the various reports spread out before him on the small desk he saw the captain leaning against a cabinet, arms folded and smirk on his face.

“Sir? Something I can assist you with?”

Jack shook his head. “Just thought I’d check in and see how you were doing.”

Ianto smiled. “Everything’s fine, sir. Just catching up on a backlog of work. I thought I’d take advantage of the lull.”

“You coming up for lunch?”

“When it’s time, yes,” Ianto replied. “Any requests?”

Jack pushed off the cabinet and came to stand in front of his desk, hands in pockets. He made quite a presence, without having to say a word. “Owen went off to get pizza. It’s after one, Ianto.”

Looking at his watch –he was now wearing it on the other wrist do to his arm still being in a sling – Ianto’s eyes widened. How had he lost track of so much time? That wasn’t like him.

“Sorry, sir. Did you need me to make more coffee?”

The captain chuckled. “As much as I love your coffee, that isn’t why I came down here. Though, yes, that would be lovely. Are you feeling alright?”

“Actually, yes, surprisingly. No morning sickness today.” He grimaced. “Although, now having said that, I don’t doubt I’ll get it shortly.”

Jack nodded. “Okay. Why don’t you finish up here and come up to join us? They should be back any time now.”

“I will, sir, thank you.”

Jack spun on his heal and headed out of the archives, leaving Ianto to his paperwork. He looked down, sighed, and closed the files he’d been reading. It had waited this long, it could continue to wait. 

The cog wheel door rolled open as he made his way upstairs. He smiled and nodded at Owen and headed for the kitchen. After making a fresh round of coffee and adding a couple bottles of water to his tray, Ianto met everyone at the boardroom. They’d taken to leaving the door propped open to make it easier for him, even though he should really be trying to use his other arm more. What he found inside was enough to nearly make him drop everything.

“Surprise!” the others chorused.

Ianto set the tray down carefully and looked around at the pink and blue decorations hanging off of every available surface. There were ribbons, balloons, confetti that would be difficult to clean up, and a large banner proclaimed, “Congratulations!”

He wasn’t sure what to say. There really weren’t any words. Considering the fact that he hadn’t had long to process the pregnancy a party was not something he’d ever expected. And weren’t baby showers supposed to be given toward the end of a pregnancy? They’d only just discovered he was pregnant yesterday. There had to be a bad omen in there somewhere.

“I…wow.” 

Gwen hurried forward, taking his hand. “I know this is completely unorthodox Ianto, but, well, so is this baby. We just wanted to let you know that we’re behind you. That you have our full support.”

“How did you all get this arranged?” he asked, looking around again at the decorations.

“The girls planned it yesterday,” Owen said, shrugging. “They sent me to the shops last night to get the cake. Bloody expensive, it was.”

Ianto gave the medic a small smile. His eyes then fell on Jack, who was watching him carefully. “You were gone all day yesterday.”

“Gwen called me last night, told me what she and Tosh were planning.”

He frowned. “The call you took last night during dinner?”

“Yup.”

“You said it was a wrong number.”

Jack smirked. “I lied.”

Ianto sat down at the table, taking in the boxes of pizza, the cake, and the bowl of punch with party cups sitting beside it. They’d really gone all out. Remarkably so, really, as they’d done all of this while he’d been hidden away in the archives.

“I’m not sure what to say,” he admitted, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Thank you.”

Gwen kissed him on the cheek and Tosh and Jack just smiled at him. Owen offered a, “Sure, whatever.” 

Luckily his friends took pity on him and didn’t make a fuss. Gwen began dishing up the pizza while Tosh passed out the coffees and gave Ianto a cup of fruit punch. As they ate they discussed their current cases, the weather, their personal lives, but not the baby. He was beyond thankful for that, as all this party had served to do was make him even more confused.

“Rhys and I are going to a friend’s wedding this weekend,” said Gwen, casually. “I’m hoping it might give him a few ideas.”

“Might send him packing, is more like it,” groused Owen, mouth full of pizza. 

“Owen!” scolded Tosh.

“What?”

Gwen laughed. “Oh no, not Rhys. No, he’s a good man, he is. He’ll propose, I know he will. Eventually.”

“He needs to make an honest woman out of you, Gwen Cooper,” said Jack, winking.

Gwen threw a wadded up paper napkin at him, glaring playfully. “Somebody has to.”

If Ianto were the jealous type he’d think they were flirting. Well, no, he knew they were flirting. But he’d come to expect that with Jack. He flirted with anyone and anything if it was gorgeous enough, as Tosh had said to them all when Gwen first started. But he knew that Jack was his, so it didn’t upset him. Besides, Gwen didn’t have anything to offer the man anyway.

Ianto chastised himself. Where the hell had that come from? He was getting catty and it wasn’t like him. He figured it must be the hormones.

Their lunch was long and leisurely but eventually had to come to an end. They’d all had a generous piece of cake to finish off their meals and the rest would be put away for leftovers.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take some home?” he asked the others, surprised when they shook their heads.

“It’s your cake, Ianto,” Tosh replied, patting his arm.

“Besides,” said Gwen, “we can always have more later. As long as the cravings don’t kick in and you finish it all.”

Ianto’s eyes widened as she grinned at him, and then he laughed. A nice, long laugh. He didn’t see himself getting the same cravings as women did, but then, he’d only been pregnant a couple weeks. Time would tell.

Jack helped him clean up but they left the decorations for now. He’d not been so sure about the party to begin with, but he found he did like the festivity of it. And if they were tempting fate by throwing him a party so soon, well, what did it matter in the long run? It wasn’t as if he was considering keeping the child anyway.

Owen had been thoughtful enough to request a personal vegetarian pizza with their order, and Ianto brought it down to their guest with the customary bowl of water. He set the tray down and opened the cell, then slid the tray inside. He watched as the Raspotahn eagerly tucked in. While the alien loved its spinach and broccoli, and more recently fruits and nuts, Ianto had found that as long as no meat was present, everything else was fair game. He’d even considered trying pasta, though that meant more preparation and he wasn’t looking to add more work for himself.

“We’re going to have a baby,” he told the creature, watching it savor a bite of the pizza. It looked at him, cocking its head, as if listening. “Jack and me, I mean. But we’re not going to keep it.”

The alien put down the pizza, moving to the glass barrier between them and putting its hand up to touch it. Ianto raised his eyebrows, lifting his own hand in a similar gesture. The creature began tilting its head one way and then the other. He realized that must be its way of trying to assess a situation. A moment later it backed away from the glass with sad eyes and sat back down, picking up the discarded food.

Ianto stepped away from the glass himself. “It’ll be lovely to give the gift of a child to a family that really wants one,” he explained, watching the Raspotahn eat. “We just wouldn’t be able to take care of it here in the Hub.”

He spent the next few minutes in silence, just watching, until the alien was finished with its meal. He removed the tray and left the vaults, depositing everything in the kitchen before heading up to the tourist office. He hadn’t been manning the little shop lately and it was badly in need of a good cleaning.

While he worked he thought about his situation. He might not be a traditionalist, but he’d certainly never considered having a child before he was married. The man might have committed to being in a monogamous relationship with him, but there was no real security in it. They weren’t legally bound to each other. And with Jack, that simply wasn’t a possibility. Maybe it had been back when Jack had been married the first time, but Ianto knew the captain was waiting for something, just biding his time here on Earth. And why shouldn’t he? He was a long way and a long time from where he belonged. As soon as he found whatever he was waiting for he’d be gone. Ianto could feel it in his bones. And that wasn’t fair to a child.

Ianto put his dust cloth down, rubbing his face. Who was he kidding? It wasn’t as if he’d live long enough to raise a child anyway. He knew the statistics. The probability that he’d even live to see his thirtieth birthday was so low he’d never place bets. Life just didn’t work that way at Torchwood. You were there one day, and gone shortly thereafter. It was what you signed up for when you joined.

He’d once thought about having a family with Lisa. They’d even talked about it a few times, over dinner, or even while lying in bed at night. Two point five kids. Wasn’t that the norm? He’d read that somewhere. And they would have been happy. He knew that. But it wouldn’t have changed the fact that death would have found them. It just happened a little bit sooner for Lisa than he would have ever imagined.

Shaking those morose thoughts from his mind Ianto picked up the cloth once more and began dusting the shelves with determination. He really did need to remember to speak with Owen.


	8. Chapter 8

It was another week before Ianto had a chance to even think about discussing his concerns with their medic. Torchwood had been run off its feet by rift activity, and it hadn’t been the kind they could just scoff at. Instead there’d been a near-invasion, two opposing alien species trying to seek asylum that nearly annihilated each other in the process, and at least three instances of debris that caused such a ruckus with the locals they’d had to claim military testing gone wrong. On top of that the Weevils had decided it was a good time for a massive group snack attack, killing at least a dozen people before they were able to subdue them.

When Ianto approached Owen he could see the man was busy, sorting through his various cabinets and drawers, more than likely doing inventory. He hesitated at the top of the stairs before remembering what the doctor had told him the last time. He headed down into the medical bay, standing with one hand in his pocket as he waited for the other man to acknowledge him.

“Not done yet, Ianto,” the medic told him, not turning around. “I’ll let you know if I need anything for your shop run once I’m finished.”

“I wasn’t actually here for that,” he replied. “I was hoping you’d have a moment so we could talk.”

Owen turned to face him, eyebrow raised. “Yeah? About what?”

“The pregnancy.”

Owen’s lips pursed. “How much time do you need?”

“I just have some questions.”

Nodding, the doctor closed the cabinet he’d been looking through and pointed to his stool, indicating Ianto should sit. Ianto did, and Owen turned to lean back against the counter, arms and ankles crossed.

“Alright, spill it. What do want to know?”

Ianto glanced up toward the rest of the Hub before answering. “I’ve decided not to abort this baby.”

Owen smirked. “I really hadn’t thought you’d wanted to in the first place, but alright. So you’re planning to keep it?”

“No,” Ianto replied. “But I will be giving it up for adoption, so I need to know how this will work.”

“Not my area of expertise,” said Owen. “I would assume another thirty-four to thirty-five weeks in the oven, then a Caesarean section to remove the baby. While the scanner did show you’re growing a uterus of sorts to support the baby, you’ve not grown a vagina the last I checked.”

Ianto’s brows furrowed. “I’ll count that as a positive.”

“As far as what complications you may or may not come across, I couldn’t say, Ianto. I did my rotation in maternity like every other medical student, but I can assure you we didn’t have any male patients.”

“Then we’ll be playing it by ear,” Ianto said, not feeling particularly thrilled by the idea.

Owen shrugged. “You should discuss it with Jack. He’s from a time when male pregnancies were the norm. That’s about all I can tell you.”

Another thought struck Ianto. “What about the rest of my organs?” he asked. “Wouldn’t they get crushed by the uterus, since it’s not meant to be there?”

“Based on the way your body is changing I’d say no. It appears to be adapting to the baby, making room for what’s needed.”

That made Ianto feel a little bit better. The last thing he needed was to have his body reject the baby. It was one thing not to want to keep it, but quite another to lose it without his consent.

Ianto nodded and was about to get up from the stool to leave when Owen placed a hand on his arm, stilling him. Ianto looked up, questioningly.

“Why don’t you want to keep this baby?”

Ianto licked his lips. “I don’t want it, Owen.”

“Is it Jack? Does he not want you to have it?”

Ianto shook his head quickly. “That’s not it, Owen. It’s me, not Jack.”

“If he’s pressuring you…”

“He’s not!” Ianto jumped up from the stool and started to head up the stairs, pausing before his foot hit the second step. He turned, opening his mouth to say something else, and then decided against it, closing his mouth and continuing up the stairs.

He headed up to the kitchen, opening up the fridge and pulling out what was left of the cake from his party, placing it on the counter. It was easily enough for three people but he didn’t care. Grabbing a fork from the drawer he tucked in, savoring the taste of the rich, white frosting and its contrast with the dark chocolate cake and cherry filling. 

He’d eaten most of the cake himself over the last week, sneaking pieces of it when everyone else was busy or after they’d gone home for the day. It wasn’t that he cared if they knew, but he had already snapped at Tosh once for asking for a piece, and even though there was no reason why the rest of the team shouldn’t have any he was feeling quite possessive over it. 

He was finishing off another bite when he became aware of another presence. Turning slowly with the fork still in his mouth he found Jack leaning in the doorway, a smirk on his face. Ianto blushed heavily, pulling the fork from his mouth and swallowing the bite of cake he’d removed from it.

“It is a good cake,” Jack remarked, eyes sparkling. “Almost gone, too.”

Ianto looked at the plate guiltily. There was less than one person’s serving left. Resisting the urge to hide the piece behind his back he looked back at Jack. “Would you like the rest?”

Jack shook his head. “No, that’s okay. Go ahead and finish it. It was yours, after all.”

Ianto looked at the floor. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with me. I’ve been so hungry lately. Especially for sweets. I had to stop myself from eating Myfanwy’s chocolate yesterday.”

Jack stepped closer, lifting a hand and brushing some cake crumbs off of Ianto’s blue shirt. “You’re eating for two, Ianto. Cravings are a normal part of pregnancy.”

“That just sounds like an excuse to eat more than necessary.”

Jack chuckled. “It can be.”

“I’ve already gained nearly three kilo,” Ianto groused, turning and grabbing the plate. He moved toward the refrigerator but Jack beat him to it, pulling the door open. “I could have done that.”

“Your arm is still on the mend. And it’s perfectly normal to gain weight when you’re pregnant as well.”

Moving back to the sink Ianto began washing the fork. “I’ve started using my arm more now,” he said, emphasizing his words by raising said arm and then lowering it. “Can’t wear this sling forever.”

“I suppose not, but sprains take time to heal.”

“It’s been three weeks, sir,” Ianto said, drying his hands.

Jack smirked again. “And a nasty sprain like yours could take four weeks or more to heal.”

“Thank you, Dr. Harkness,” Ianto replied sarcastically.

“I’ve seen a lot of injuries in my time.”

Ianto had to concede that point. “Would you like some coffee while I’m in here?”

Jack placed his hands together in front of him in what could be considered the Namaste position. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Jack left the kitchen while Ianto started up a fresh batch of coffee. It smelled so good while it was brewing, but he’d been good so far. He’d avoided caffeine nearly entirely, apart from the chocolate he’d been consuming. And he’d have to cut down on that as well or he wouldn’t be able to fit in his suits very much longer. In fact, the one he was wearing now was beginning to feel a bit tighter than normal, though that might simply be his imagination in overdrive.

Adding a package of biscuits to the tray – they weren’t chocolate. If he was going to cut down then damn it, so were the rest of the team – he left the kitchen, depositing cups on workstations as he went. He’d poured himself an herbal tea in place of the coffee. It wasn’t quite the same, but it would have to do.

Ianto took his own cup down to the vaults with a few of the biscuits. It wasn’t feeding time, but he wanted to bring the Raspotahn a treat anyway. The alien still hadn’t been sexed, so Ianto had taken it upon himself to give the creature its new name. Owen hadn’t been amused by what he’d chosen, and teased him that it wasn’t Welsh, but Ianto said he was just keeping things simple. Besides, he’d argued, Janet wasn’t exactly a Welsh name either and no one had bothered to change that. And he’d threatened the name several times anyway. Owen had plenty of time to make the decision before Ianto made it for him.

“Hello again, Bob,” he greeted, smiling. “I brought you something.”

Setting his mug down Ianto opened the cell, placing the handful of biscuits on the ground inside. He watched as the alien stepped forward, sniffing them. It picked one up and took a small bite. If Bob had possessed eyebrows Ianto knew they’d have shot up its forehead.

“Good, aren’t they? They’re cinnamon. One of my favorites.”

Ianto reclosed the cell and picked up his mug of tea, taking a sip. As far as teas went he had to admit this one was pretty good. It was a cranberry apple flavor and reminded him of the pies his mother used to bake when he was really little. The smell used to permeate the house and when he’d take a bite it would make his cheeks pucker from the sweet and the tart combined. All in all it was a good memory, and it was what made him buy that particular tea in the first place.

The alien finished off the biscuits in just under a minute and Ianto smiled. “Those are likely better for you than the chocolate ones. Even though I think we can both agree the chocolate biscuits are delicious.”

Leaving the vaults Ianto was heading toward the archives when Jack called to him from his office. He made his way up and Jack indicated he should close the door behind him. Doing just that Ianto turned to face him, puzzled.

“Yes, sir?”

“There was another reason I came looking for you today, Ianto,” replied Jack, indicating that he should have a seat. “Other than the coffee.”

Ianto sat down, nodding. “Alright.”

Jack took a seat behind his desk and pulled a couple of papers out of his drawer. “I compiled a list of agencies that deal with public and private adoption here in the UK,” he said, sliding the papers across the desk. “I thought that if you had really made up your mind we could take a look at them.”

Ianto picked up one of the papers. “And how will that work seeing as how we can’t let them know about my pregnancy?”

Jack smiled. “I can act as the mother’s representative,” he explained. “You can be my assistant. We’d just be checking the facilities out on her behalf.”

Raising an eyebrow, Ianto placed the paper back down on the desk. “That could work.”

“Would you like me to set any appointments?”

“Wouldn’t that be my job, sir?”

Jack laughed. “Well, yeah, normally I guess it would.”

Ianto picked the papers up and folded them carefully. “I’ll take them with me to the archives and make any arrangements there.”

Jack nodded at him and Ianto got to his feet, heading for the door.

“Hey, Ianto?” Jack called, and Ianto turned around. “It is just to look around. No commitments yet, right?”

Ianto swallowed, opening the door. “Yes sir.”


	9. Chapter 9

Ianto was glad to be rid of the sling. His arm still hurt a bit, and ached on especially cold days like this one, but he would rather face a little discomfort than be an invalid for any longer. Owen had shaken his head at him two weeks before when he’d requested to take it off, and commented about stubborn Tea Boys, but had agreed that he likely wouldn’t do any harm as long as he was careful.

Free range motion of his arm was something Ianto had taken for granted, and having to perform his duties without it, even light as they were, had taken some getting used to. Now Ianto moved about the archives as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, carrying boxes and rearranging furniture.

“Ianto?” Jack’s voice said in his ear.

“Yes sir?” 

“Should you be putting so much strain on your arm? It’s still healing.”

Ianto rolled his eyes, setting a box atop the stack he’d started in the corner. “Owen gave me the go ahead to remove the sling two weeks ago, sir. It doesn’t take six weeks to recover from an arm sprain. It’s fine.”

“Just because you no longer need a sling it doesn’t mean your arm is back to normal,” scolded the captain. “If you reinjure it you could do permanent damage.”

Hands on hips, Ianto looked up into the CCTV camera. “Was there something you needed from me, sir, or were you just spying on me because you’re bored?”

There was a chuckle in his ear. “I wanted to find out if you’d had a chance to make an appointment with any of the agencies I listed.”

“Actually, no. Not yet.”

“Ianto, it’s been nearly three weeks.”

“I’m well aware, sir.”

Silence settled over the comms and Ianto’s eyebrow went up. He thought there would be more to that conversation but apparently not. He turned back to the job at hand.

“I thought this was what you wanted, Ianto.”

The Welshman straightened from the box he was reaching for on the floor, sighing. He hadn’t made an appointment because it just hadn’t been at the top of his list. After all, there was plenty of time left before he had this child. What was the rush?

“It is, sir.”

“You’re not having second thoughts about keeping the baby?”

Ianto’s eyebrows furrowed. “No.”

Another pause, and then Jack replied, “It just seems odd for you to put something like this off, that’s all. You’re usually more efficient than that.”

Ianto’s anger boiled to the surface. “More efficient?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest and glaring up at the CCTV. “You want me to be more efficient?”

“Ianto…”

“No, Jack, no,” Ianto huffed, digging his mobile out of his pocket. He punched in a number. “If you want more efficient I’ll show you more efficient. Yes, hello. My name is Mr. Jones, and I’m calling on behalf of Captain Jack Harkness. Our firm represents a young lady who is interested in possibly using your services to adopt out her baby. That’s correct. She’s approximately six weeks along. Yes, I realize that. Yes, she’s sure. Could we possibly set an appointment for further discussion? The soonest you have. That would be perfect. Tomorrow morning it is. Thank you.”

Jack signed through his earpiece. “Tomorrow.”

“Ten in the morning,” Ianto replied, reaching down for the neglected box and hefting it up into his arms. “That’s their earliest appointment. I hope that’s soon enough for you.”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“Don’t worry, Captain,” Ianto interrupted him, “I’m well aware of what you meant.”

There was no doubt in Ianto’s mind that Jack would love for him to keep this baby. He wasn’t sure if it was because Jack realized Ianto’s own childhood hadn’t been what he’d wanted it to be, and he thought having his own child would make up for that, or if he really did think that Ianto would make a good father, but it wasn’t going to happen. He had no intention of leaving Torchwood and being Retconned, then left to raise a child on his own, apart from the financial support of one Captain Jack Harkness. This baby was going up for adoption. There was no way to raise a child while working in the environment he did.

“If that will be all?” he added. He received no reply.

The archives weren’t going to rearrange themselves so Ianto got back to work. Jack didn’t interrupt him again and that made for a much more productive morning. By the time lunch rolled around Ianto had succeeded in changing the layout of the archives entrance. He’d pushed his desk to the middle of the space instead of against the wall; he’d shoved the cabinets to his right side, and restacked the boxes awaiting his attention against the shelves on his left. 

Dusting his hands off on his trousers Ianto congratulated himself on a job well done. Even if no one else would even notice the differences he’d made, it looked better to him and that was all that mattered.

Heading up into the Hub Ianto intended to take requests for lunch. He found the workstations and Owen’s medical bay empty, however, and turned toward Jack’s office. The captain was seated at his desk, scowling over what Ianto recognized as the budget. They normally worked on it together.

“Where are the others?” he asked, standing in the open doorway.

“Gone to lunch,” Jack replied, not looking up from his paperwork.

Ianto frowned. “I was going to order in for everyone.”

“No need,” Jack replied.

“Would you like me to get something for you?”

“Nope. I’m actually about to head out myself.” He finally looked up, his face expressionless. “I have some things to do this afternoon.”

“I see,” said Ianto, even though he really didn’t. “I suppose I’ll just pick something up for myself then, shall I?”

“Whatever works for you, Ianto,” Jack told him. “The others should be back within the hour.”

He watched as the captain put down his pen, closed the folder he’d been working in, and got up to grab his coat. If Ianto hadn’t been preoccupied wondering what was going on, he’d have made a move to get the captain’s coat for him, as he normally did. But something was off. Jack must be angry at him for his attitude earlier.

“If this is about what I said before…”

“It’s not about you, Ianto,” Jack replied, shrugging on his coat and slipping his Webley into its holster. “Believe it or not, not everything is.”

With that Jack moved past him and out of his office. He was past the workstations and down the stairs before Ianto had even turned around to look. The cog door rolled open and Jack was gone, leaving him alone in the Hub.

Looking back at Jack’s desk Ianto licked his lips. It wasn’t like Jack to be so brusque with him. In fact, he hadn’t acted that way toward him in quite a while. Jack might have said it wasn’t in retaliation for the way he’d acted that morning, but he couldn’t see any other reason for it. Jack was just trying to be helpful, regardless of the fact that he’d been a slight bit demeaning, and Ianto had snapped at him to prove a point.

Stepping over to Jack’s desk Ianto used his phone to order himself a pizza. He’d get extra, just in case the others were hungry later. No reason to get something different for dinner if they didn’t have to. 

He sat by himself near the railing of the hot house, eating a slice of pizza and washing it down with a bottle of water. It had been forty minutes since Jack’s departure and still the others had not returned. He wondered why they’d left for lunch in the first place. It wasn’t like them to exclude him from their plans. At least not anymore. Perhaps he’d been snappish with them today as well?

He finished his third slice of pizza and then got to his feet, bringing his plate and napkin to the bin and dropping his bottle in the small recycling container he’d set in the kitchen. Putting the rest of the pizza away, including the unopened meat feast he’d purchased, Ianto considered making some coffee. If the others came back soon they might want some.

He started a pot, leaning on the counter. Dropping a hand to his stomach he rubbed it as he waited. He wasn’t far along enough to feel movement, but it comforted him. He’d been lucky, according to Owen. He hadn’t been sick in a couple of days, and the medic advised he might have already gotten past his morning sickness. He hoped the doctor was right. He remembered when his sister had been pregnant with David, and her morning sickness had lasted a couple of months. She’d been an absolute mess. The thought of feeling like he had for that long was terrifying.

Several minutes later the alarms sounded and his teammates came through the door. They were chatting amongst themselves but as Ianto delivered coffees, the conversation stopped.

“How are you feeling, Ianto?” Toshiko asked him, accepting her mug.

“I’m just fine, Tosh. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, well…when we asked Jack if he thought you might be up to going to lunch with us he said no,” she replied, sipping her drink.

“We assumed you must have taken ill again,” said Gwen, smiling gently. “You’re not ill then?”

Ianto passed her a coffee. “No, I’m not.”

“That’s good,” said Tosh.

“Is it your arm?” asked Owen, taking his mug of coffee directly from the tray. “Is it giving you trouble again?”

“My arm is just fine,” said Ianto, smiling. “I’m sure he just meant I was too busy. I’ve been working in the archives all morning. I ordered pizza for myself. There’s extra, in case anyone is hungry later this evening.”

“Thank you love,” Gwen replied, patting his arm. 

Ianto nodded and moved off to the kitchen to drop off the tray. He didn’t let the others see it, but he was livid. How dare Jack tell the others he wasn’t up to going to lunch with them? There was no reason at all for the captain to do that unless he was angry, and it was now quite obvious he was. What had started as something between the two of them was quickly turning into a problem for the whole team. No matter the extent of their issues before Jack had never included the others in them. 

There was no way around it; he was going to have to have a serious talk with Jack.


	10. Chapter 10

The captain returned later that afternoon but closed himself into his office before Ianto had the chance to approach him. It wasn’t like him to be so standoffish, but there were times he’d acted that way in the past. Perhaps something non-Torchwood related had occurred and he just wasn’t up for talking to anyone. Ianto didn’t think so, but he figured he should give the man the benefit of the doubt.

Even so, he wasn’t planning to let the matter of lunch drop. Jack’s behavior was childish and uncalled for, no matter how snippy Ianto had been with him earlier in the day. It was one thing to be angry with him, but it was quite another to draw the rest of the team into their fight.

Steeling his resolve, Ianto knocked on the door to the office. There was no response from within but Ianto could see the man sitting at his desk. Okay, so now he was being ignored. He knocked again.

“I’m busy,” Jack responded at last.

“We need to talk.”

“Not right now,” replied Jack, eyes trained on the papers in front of him.

Ianto leaned his head against the door and sighed. “Sir…”

“Ianto, later. I have things to do.”

“You do realize I have a key to your office, don’t you?”

The captain finally looked up, eyes hard. “You wouldn’t.”

“I would.”

Jack swore and got to his feet, walking over to unlock the door. He didn’t wait and turned back around, heading for his desk once more. 

Ianto entered and closed the door behind him. “Are you going to tell me why you’re upset?” he asked, not bothering to take a seat.

The captain shrugged. “I’m not upset, Ianto. As I told you, I’m busy.”

“And you being busy is why you told the team I wouldn’t be able to go to lunch with them?”

“No,” Jack replied, picking up his pen. “That was because you were busy.”

“That’s a load of shite and you know it!”

Jack’s eyebrow arched. “Excuse me? A bit out of line, don’t you think?”

Ianto stepped closer to the desk and leaned his hands against it, lowering his head to Jack’s level. “What’s happening between the two of us has nothing to do with the rest of the team, sir,” he growled, anger rising. “You and I have been able to keep our personal business between the two of us before with no problems. Why is it a problem now?”

The captain held his gaze for a moment and then looked away. “The situation has changed.”

“Because of the baby?”

“Yes!”

Ianto moved around the desk and settled against it, crossing his arms and his ankles. It was the position he normally assumed when they were going to have a private talk as it was more intimate. “This baby is ours, sir. It doesn’t belong to the others. But we couldn’t have hidden the pregnancy. I was ill, and Owen is my doctor.”

“I know.”

“And they’ve been nothing but supportive since they found out.”

“I know,” Jack said again.

Ianto licked his lips. “I was short with you this morning and I apologize.”

“I was only trying to help,” Jack replied, looking up at him earnestly.

“And I appreciate it, sir,” Ianto told him, honestly. “But my body is not my own these days. It’s changing, and with those changes comes…moodiness.”

Jack looked up at him, eyes sad. “I have to learn to expect that, I suppose.”

“Yes,” agreed Ianto. “Preferably without taking your anger out on me by denying me lunch.”

“You did order yourself something, right?”

“Pizza. There’s some in the fridge. Have you eaten?” Jack shook his head and Ianto moved away from the desk. “I’ll go heat up a few slices. If you’d like me to.”

Smiling, Jack said, “Yes, please.”

Ianto nodded. “I’ll be just a moment.”

As he waited for Jack’s food to heat in the microwave he frowned. He’d not handled that conversation the way he’d intended. They’d both overreacted, and while Ianto could blame a portion of his own behavior on his hormones, he still had no idea why Jack had responded so strangely. Yes, his teammates knew about the baby, but that didn’t mean that every personal argument had to be common knowledge. Surely there were still some things between them that were sacred?

The microwave beeped and Ianto removed the plate, grabbing a napkin and bottled water before returning to Jack’s office. This time he left the door open, since he didn’t intend to discuss their earlier problems further. He’d just let it go. Maybe understanding why he’d been so snappy would be enough for Jack and he wouldn’t respond the same way again.

It wasn’t until later that night, as he lay awake beside Jack, that he began to think about their argument once more. He hated when thoughts wouldn’t leave him alone, and this one was no exception. 

“You’re thinking so loudly I can hear you from here,” said Jack, rolling over and reaching an arm across Ianto’s chest. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“It’s nothing, sir. Go back to sleep.”

“I don’t sleep. You know that.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “You were snoring less than a minute ago. Do you snore while you’re awake?”

“Maybe I do.”

“Then that’s a recent development,” Ianto replied.

“What are you thinking about?” Jack asked him again, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

“The meaning of life, the universe, and everything.”

Jack snorted. “That’s easy, Ianto. Forty-two.”

Ianto shifted in the small bed to look at him. “How do you know that?”

“You don’t get to be my age without learning a thing or two.”

“I suppose not.”

“Would you please tell me what’s bothering you?” Jack insisted. “Is it the baby?”

“We have that appointment tomorrow morning,” Ianto explained, “and while I know you were the one to suggest we look into different agencies, I get the feeling we’re not on the same page about this adoption.”

Jack sighed, removing his arm from around Ianto’s body and rolling onto his back. “It’s what you’ve decided you wanted, isn’t it?”

“It’s what’s necessary,” Ianto corrected. “I couldn’t live with myself if I terminated the pregnancy.”

“And keeping it?”

“Isn’t an option. I’ve no intention of leaving Torchwood.”

Jack stiffened beside him. “Who said anything about leaving Torchwood? I told you that you could be taken out of the field to make it safer.”

“While I’m pregnant, yes.”

“No, Ianto. I meant after the baby was born, as well.”

Ianto sat up, turning to face him. “You’d let me stay with Torchwood but work entirely inside the Hub.”

“You practically do now anyway,” Jack replied, putting his arms underneath his head.

“And when there’s a large rift spike? What then?”

“We’d deal with it.”

“The four of you.”

“Yes,” said Jack. “The four of us.”

“And I would be stuck here with a baby.”

Jack sat up, pushing himself back against the wall and folding his arms over his chest. He sat watching Ianto for a moment before he said, “You resent this baby, don’t you?”

“What?”

“You resent the fact that you got pregnant, that you’re going to have to make a decision regarding the fate of this child.”

Ianto scowled. “That’s ridiculous, sir. I’ve already made up my mind.”

“Have you?” Jack challenged.

“Yes.”

“Then why did it take you three weeks to make an appointment with an adoption agency?”

Ianto felt flustered. “I already told you I would do it.”

“Yes, you did. And as I said to you before, you are never that slow about anything.”

“Are we going to have this fight again, sir? Because I think I’d prefer to be dressed.”

“Just answer me, Ianto,” Jack demanded. “If you’d already made up your mind, why hadn’t you called immediately?”

“I had other priorities, sir.”

“And what would those be?”

“Keeping this base running, for one thing,” Ianto replied, feeling a bit miffed. “Making sure all the reports get done on time, keeping you from insulting heads of state, feeding our team and our guests…”

“And dealing with the baby gets in the way.”

“Yes! I shouldn’t have to be thinking about what I’m drinking, or how much I’m eating, but I do. I have to because I can’t have caffeine. It’s bad for the baby. And I can’t live of takeaways now because I will gain weight. More weight.”

Jack leaned forward. “All of this for a baby you don’t want to keep. A baby that is changing your life even though you won’t be its father.”

“That’s not fair,” Ianto cried, putting his head in his hands. “This isn’t what I signed up for when we started this thing between us. Two men do not have children.”

“What? They adopt children all the time!”

“Yes, Jack, exactly. They commit to each other in front of their friends and family and the law, and then they adopt. They don’t get up the duff by their immortal, fifty-first century bosses!”

“Hey,” Jack said, holding up his hand. “This baby has nothing to do with where I’m from, or what I am. You can’t blame this on me! There happens to be alien influence involved.”

“I’m not trying to blame you, Jack,” Ianto said, sighing. “I’m just explaining why I can’t keep this child.”

“And what if I wanted to?”

“You can’t make me keep it.”

“I didn’t say you had to,” Jack replied. “I asked what if I wanted to keep it.”

Ianto frowned. “You can’t keep our child if I don’t want it.”

“I don’t see why not.”

Ianto looked at him like he’d gone mad. “You’d raise our child without any help from me?”

“If I had to, yes,” said Jack.

“And where would I go, sir?” Ianto asked.

“That’s up to you. If you couldn’t work here knowing that I was raising our child, then…”

“Oh my God,” Ianto said, voice hiding none of his hurt. “You would raise this child even knowing that I couldn’t be a part of its life. As if I didn’t exist. That’s unfair to the child. Unfair to me!”

Jack folded his arms again. “I won’t deny I’d like to have this baby, Ianto. You’re asking me to give up a child that I want to have because you can’t see how it fits into your life. Which one of us is being unfair?”

Ianto swallowed the lump in his throat. “Why did you give me the list of adoption agencies?”

“Because I wanted to make things easier for you, Ianto. You’d made up your mind and I was resigned to the fact that I wouldn’t be able to change it.”

“But you want this baby.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re going to be angry at me if I give this child up for adoption.”

Jack sighed loudly. “Not angry, Ianto. Just extremely disappointed. I want you to want this baby as much as I do.”

“I…I can’t, Jack,” he admitted, flexing his fingers before dropping his hands to his knees. “I can’t be a father.”

“Why? And don’t tell me it’s because we live a dangerous life. Plenty of people do and they’re still able to raise children.”

“I won’t live that much longer.”

Jack tilted his head. “Because of Torchwood, you mean?” Ianto nodded. “Ianto, you will live plenty long enough to raise this child. Especially if you’re not out in the field.”

“I would make a lousy father.”

“You’re compassionate, protective, courageous, not to mention organized and well-versed in domestic responsibilities. Exactly how would you make a lousy father?”

“It’s in my blood,” Ianto murmured, looking down at his hands. “Everything I know about being a father I learned from my own.”

Jack moved closer, laying his own hands over Ianto’s. “You are not your dad, Ianto. You would never treat your family the way your dad treated yours.”

Ianto shook his head. “It was only me,” he corrected, sadly. “He loved my mam. And he loved my sister.”

Jack tilted his chin up, meeting his eyes. “You said he was abusive when he drank.”

“Yes. As his father was before him.”

“And he drank after your mother passed away and your sister moved out.”

“Yes,” Ianto said again.

“Then he would have treated them the same way had they been there, Ianto. You didn’t do anything to encourage his abuse.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ianto told him. “I’m still the product of an abusive father.”

“And that doesn’t mean you would be the same way,” Jack replied, pulling him close. He came reluctantly, letting Jack wrap his arms around him. “You can break that cycle.” 

Ianto felt tears welling up in his eyes. “I can’t, Jack.”

“I believe you can.”

“If I hurt the baby…”

“You wouldn’t, Ianto,” Jack replied, rocking him gently. “You wouldn’t.”

Ianto allowed himself to be rocked, feeling his tears threaten to fall as he clung to the other man. He’d never had this discussion with anyone else. He hadn’t wanted to admit his fears, or let someone see just what his father had done to him. Jack knew of his father’s drunken rages, but he hadn’t told him his father once pushed him so hard on a swing he fell off and broke his leg. His father had always been too rough, too physical.

“I don’t think I can do it, Jack,” he choked out.

“Shh. Hey, it’s okay. Let’s just get some sleep, alright?” Jack maneuvered him until he was once more lying down, covering him with the blankets. “It’s late.”

Ianto blinked back his tears, nodding. Jack got under the covers beside him and drew him into his arms. “We’ll talk about this more later.”

Ianto nodded, trying to get comfortable. But it was several hours before Ianto was exhausted enough to fall asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

The next day moved relatively smoothly for Ianto, much to his surprise. While he and Jack still hadn’t come to an agreement about what was going to happen with the baby, they kept their appointment at the agency and hadn’t argued again. They posed as a young mother’s solicitor and his assistant and had a meeting with the director of the facility.

Ianto had to admit he wasn’t very fond of the woman. She seemed arrogant and aloof, and he wondered how anyone could feel comfortable using her to plan adoption proceedings when she didn’t seem to have any emotions.

Jack offered to call a few more of the agencies once they returned to the car but Ianto asked him to hold off. It wasn’t that he had suddenly changed his mind about the baby, but he wanted some more time to think. If he was going to make a rational decision he needed to get his thoughts in order.

Instead of returning to work right away they decided to go out for lunch. They’d told the others they’d be gone for the morning so Jack made a quick call to the Hub, letting the others know they’d be in a little later than planned. Toshiko informed them the rift predictor wasn’t indicating anything much for the rest of the day and told them not to worry. She and the others had it under control.

They chose fish and chips for lunch and arrived at the chip shop at half eleven, sitting at an outside table with their meal. Ianto huffed when Jack swiped one of his chips.

“You do realize you have your own?” he asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, but yours taste better,” Jack replied, winking.

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Then why don’t we swap?”

Jack pursed his lips. “If we did that I’d be stealing my own chips.”

Shaking his head, Ianto bit into a piece of fish. It certainly wasn’t the best he’d ever had, but he was hungry, the shop was nearby, and he wasn’t going to be fussy when Jack had offered to pay. If there’d been a little more planning it almost would have felt like a date.

“You’re thinking again,” said Jack, mouth full of food.

Trying not to cringe at the sight, Ianto shrugged. “I believe you’ll find I do that a lot, sir.”

“You were smiling.”

“Indeed I was.”

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

Ianto smiled again. “Nope.”

Jack growled, snagging another one of Ianto’s chips. “Fine, but if you don’t tell me then I won’t tell you what I have planned for Saturday.”

That gave Ianto pause. “You planned something for Saturday? For the team?”

“Not telling.”

“You’re being childish, sir,” Ianto stated, expression turning sour.

“So what else is new?” the captain replied. “Tell me and I’ll tell you.”

“And if I don’t, Saturday will still roll around and I’ll find out eventually anyway,” Ianto pointed out.

“Ah, yes,” said Jack, “but not if I decide to change my mind.”

“Are you trying to frustrate me, sir?” asked Ianto, biting into a chip and chewing carefully before swallowing. “Because it’s not working.”

Jack was silent for a moment and Ianto watched the wheels turning in his head. The man should know by now it wasn’t easy to get to him.

“There’s a new exhibit at the museum this weekend,” Jack told him, folding his arms across his chest. “I thought maybe you’d like to go.”

Ianto’s eyes widened. “Just the two of us?”

“Unless you’d like the others to tag along.”

Ianto considered that. “Well, Tosh does like museums, but Owen would be a right prat and Gwen might break something.”

“So, was that a yes?”

“That depends,” said Ianto, face serious.

“On what?”

“What kind of exhibit it is,” he replied. “If it’s alien I’ll have to pass.”

Jack threw his head back and laughed. “No. No, I can assure you it’s not about aliens. In fact, it’s an Egyptian exhibit from the British Museum. Cardiff has it on loan for the next two months, starting this Saturday.”

Ianto loved ancient Egypt. He’d studied quite a bit about it while taking his courses at university. His fascination wasn’t common knowledge, however, so he wondered exactly how Jack had known.

“Much more acceptable,” he said, nodding.

“Good. I already booked us a session time.”

“Very assuming, aren’t you, sir?”

“Just confident,” Jack replied, grinning. “I thought we’d take Saturday off and make a day of it.”

Ianto took a sip of his drink and then smiled. “That sounds lovely.”

“How are you feeling, Ianto?” The Welshman looked at him quizzically. “Not feeling sick or anything lately?”

Ianto looked around. He wanted to make sure the coast was clear to discuss anything to do with the baby. “Not in a while, actually.”

“Good, I’m glad. Owen hadn’t come to me with anything but I just wanted to hear it from you. He doesn’t always tell me everything.”

“He’d tell you if anything was seriously wrong,” Ianto said, pushing his plate away from him. “He wouldn’t hide something like that.”

“I suppose not,” Jack agreed. “Are you going to finish that?”

Ianto glanced down at the chips still scattered about his plate. “No, I’m not. Help yourself.”

Jack pulled Ianto’s plate over to his side of the table. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Ianto smiled, watching the captain dig into the food with gusto. He had no idea how the man could eat so much and still retain his figure. Frowning, Ianto looked down at himself. His clothes were getting tighter on him. He’d started wearing the looser of the suits he owned so that he’d not have to deal with getting the seams let out. He wasn’t ready to admit he would eventually have to stop wearing suits and start wearing something with a little give.

They finished up their lunch and made their way back to the Hub. Upon arrival Ianto made the team a pot of coffee and then slipped away to do some work in the tourist office. He’d been there for only five minutes before a woman and her husband came in.

“Oh, hello there,” she said, greeting Ianto with a wide smile. “My husband and I were wondering if you had any attractions you could recommend.”

Ianto smiled back at the American woman. “That would depend on your tastes,” he advised, picking up a couple of brochures and fanning them out on the counter between them. “There are sporting events, castle tours, even musical productions if that’s your thing.”

“Sporting events, eh?” asked the man, and Ianto imagined his ears perking up as he took an interest in the proceedings. “What kind of sporting events?”

“There’s the rugby,” Ianto suggested, handing him a pamphlet. “Or, if you prefer, football. The kind you’d call soccer.”

The woman frowned, giving her husband a look. “I think something a bit more…cultural. Authentic Welsh.”

Ianto smiled. “Do excuse me for saying so, but there’s not much else more Welsh than rugby.” He leaned forward, conspiratorially. “But between you and me, I’d take the tour of Castell Coch. The views are breathtaking, especially this time of year. And if you agree to the rugby he’ll be more likely to take the tour as well.”

Ianto straightened up as the woman seemed to consider his advice for a moment. She then patted his hand and turned to her husband to discuss their options. When she turned back around she was grinning.

“It looks like we’ll be doing the tour and a game,” she said, winking. “You’ve been so helpful!”

Nodding, Ianto handed her one more brochure. “I also hear there’s an Egyptian exhibit coming to the National Museum here in Cardiff this weekend, if you’re interested. It’s not in the brochure, but it’s only in town for two months. Best to take advantage of it.”

The woman’s eyes lit up. “Did you hear that, Dennis?”

“Mmhmm,” her husband replied. “Sounds great.”

“Thank you so much, um…”

“Ianto,” he supplied, holding out his hand. She shook it.

“Thank you so much, Ianto. It’s been a pleasure.” She turned to Dennis, who was looking at a stack of plastic rugby balls. “Let’s go, dear.”

“Coming, hon.”

The couple left the tourist office and Ianto chuckled. It never failed to amaze him how many tourists actually passed through the door. Considering the location of the office under the end of the wharf, it wasn’t exactly the most practical place to get tourist information. They could stop in at the Millennium Centre much more easily.

Turning his attention to the stacks of brochures atop the counter Ianto made a list in his head of what he’d need to restock. He always kept a careful eye on it, not wanting to get behind. In fact, he’d have to stop by one of the shops to get some updated museum information.

When he’d first arrived at the Cardiff branch he’d been disgusted by the tourist office’s disarray. The outdated pamphlets and layer of filth that coated everything let him know that no one had taken any pride in the place in quite a long time. Now that he was there it was just as important to him as the archives, and he kept it clean, organized, and current. There was a place for everything and everything in its place. Just like his mother had taught him.

As he moved towards his computer, intending to get started on some emails that Jack had been ignoring, he felt a cramp in his stomach and winced. Wonderful. All he needed was to get sick from their fish and chips lunch. He laid a hand on his stomach and switched on the computer, taking a deep breath before he logged in.

The pain slowly abated and Ianto took a couple more deep breaths until it was gone completely. He’d have to remember to pick up some antacids the next time he stopped by the shops. He didn’t think he had any downstairs, and couldn’t be certain there were any at his flat, either.

It was almost ten minutes before he felt another twinge, this one much more painful than the last. Grabbing his stomach Ianto groaned. He would have to let the chippy know their food hadn’t sat well with him. Perhaps it had been a bad batch. He wondered if Jack was feeling the same.

A sharp pain sliced through his stomach before the last had quite receded and Ianto clutched at the counter in front of him. No, this wasn’t normal. He reached for the keyboard, logging out of the computer before stumbling to the door and flipping the sign over. He locked the door and made his way back, hitting the button under the counter that would open the door to the Hub. 

He hurried down the corridor, breathing erratic as he tried to stay calm. He slowed when the pain became more than he could handle, doubling over and leaning against the wall. He activated his earpiece, thankful he’d remembered to grab it before he’d made his way upstairs.

“Owen,” he said, mouth dry.

“What is it, Tea Boy?”

“I can’t…”

“Ianto?”

“Please…the pain. Reception...”

There was the sound of something being dropped and then Owen shouting, “Jack! It’s Ianto!”

He was crumpled on the floor of the corridor by the time he heard voices that weren’t coming through his comms. He felt hands around his waist and then he was hanging over someone’s shoulder. Jack.

“Get him downstairs and into medical,” instructed Owen.

“Yeah, I know,” replied Jack.

Ianto could feel himself being carried but their words came to him through a pain-induced fog. The stabbing feeling in his stomach had increased, and it was all he could do not to vomit. By the time he was laid out on the cold metal table in the medical bay Ianto wasn’t sure if he was awake or dreaming. Everything was distorted and the pain in his stomach was all he knew.

“Wet this cloth and put it over his forehead while I get the scanner ready,” Owen said, releasing his arm after checking his pulse.

Jack did as he was told, folding the cool flannel and placing it on Ianto’s head. He moaned, the feeling of the cool material soothing him. He hardly noticed when excess water dripped down into his eyes.

Owen ran the scanner over him twice. “It looks like the baby is giving him quite a bit of grief. If we hadn’t caught it in time he’d have been in danger of a miscarriage.”

Jack squeezed Ianto’s hand. “What’s happening?”

“Based on his erratic pulse and fever I’d suspect his body is trying to fight off this baby like it’s an infection. We need to get this fever down.”

“How high is it?”

“Thirty-nine and rising.”

Ianto groaned, another pain shooting through him. He could feel Jack holding his hand and he clung to it like a life line. He felt like his skin was on fire.

“What can he take?” asked Jack, flipping the cloth over.

“Paracetamol is all I’m willing to give him,” Owen replied, preparing a syringe. “Get that jacket and shirt off of him.”

Jack did as he was told, leaning Ianto against him as he removed the man’s suit jacket and dress shirt, undoing his tie and dropping everything in a pile. Ianto hadn’t worn a waistcoat that day, which made clothing removal that much easier. Ianto would have made a smart comment about Owen wanting to see him naked but he just couldn’t get his mouth to form the words.

“We’re going to need to get this fever down more quickly than the meds are going to work,” said Owen, injecting the pain reliever into Ianto’s arm. “As much as I hate to suggest it, a cold shower is our best bet.”

“And what happens after the fever goes down?” Jack asked. “Will the baby be safe?”

Owen put the Paracetamol away, taking Ianto’s pulse again. “It’s possible; however I may have to administer an immunosuppressive drug. I prefer not to, as his natural antibodies are what the baby is going to absorb, but if his body keeps rejecting the baby like a foreign object it’s the only thing that’s going to keep him from losing the baby.”

“Please,” Ianto croaked out. “Save…the baby.”

Jack removed the flannel from Ianto’s forehead when the doctor indicated they needed to get him up. Together they managed to get Ianto up and off the table. They each wrapped one of his arms around their shoulders and carried him up the steps.

“We’re going to do everything we can, Ianto,” Jack said as they cleared the steps.

“Of course we are,” Owen added.

Ianto blearily noticed Tosh and Gwen standing by the railing, worry etched across their faces. He tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. He suppressed a moan as a dull pain rolled through him. Apparently the medicine was working.

“Thank you,” he said, licking his lips.

It might have been his imagination but he thought Jack pressed a kiss to the side of his head as they moved him down into the showers.


	12. Chapter 12

When the ice cold water hit his skin Ianto’s eyes widened dramatically. He was used to the cold and the wet, living in Cardiff, but this was ridiculous. He struggled against Jack who was standing behind him in the shower stall.

“It’s okay, Ianto. Just stay still.”

“F-freezing!” Ianto replied, shivering.

“I know, but we’ve got to get your fever down.”

Ianto wanted to look around to see if Owen was in there with them, but he had a feeling if he wasn’t he’d be waiting just outside. Jack was pressed intimately against him, and they were both nude.

“The b-baby is okay?” Ianto stuttered, reaching a hand to his stomach.

Jack hugged him back against him. “The baby is going to be fine, Ianto. As soon as your temperature goes down.”

Ianto wondered why Jack wasn’t freezing like he was. At least, if he was, his teeth weren’t chattering. Perhaps it had something to do with his body chemistry. Ianto had never really envied him that, but now he was having second thoughts.

The next thought that struck him was that he was no longer in pain. Or at least, it had dulled. What had been an excruciating stab of fire through his abdomen was now a gentle throb. The pain killers were mild, yet they’d done wonders. If it weren’t for the ice bath he was currently having he’d feel wonderful.

“I t-thought…” He paused, not sure he wanted to voice his earlier suspicions.

“You thought what, Ianto?” Jack asked.

“I…I thought it was the lunch we had.”

“How long were you in pain?”

Ianto considered that for a moment. “A few minutes, I b-believe. Felt like indigestion at f-first.”

Jack lifted one of his arms and felt Ianto’s forehead. He then stuck his head out the curtain, saying, “I think the fever is coming down.”

“Give it a few more minutes,” Owen replied, confirming Ianto’s certainty that Owen was still in the shower room with them. “We don’t want to have to drag him right back in there if at all possible.”

Jack pulled his head back through and turned Ianto around in his arms. He adjusted the showerhead so that it was aiming directly at the Welshman’s upper back. 

“G-God,” Ianto muttered, shivering anew.

“Just a little bit longer,” Jack assured him, cupping the back of his head. “Did I ever tell you about the time I dated an ice princess from the Gamma Epsilon galaxy?”

Ianto’s chuckle sounded like a cross between Popeye and a seal. “No, I d-don’t think you h-have.”

“She was lovely,” said Jack, stroking Ianto’s wet hair. “Long, silver hair, gray eyes, and a figure that could kill. And I mean that literally. Her porcelain colored skin was actually icy to the touch. Spend too long with her at one time and you’d catch Hypothermia.”

“B-but you d-dated her anyway.”

“Well, yeah, of course,” replied Jack. “She was hot! Well, you know what I mean.”

Ianto laughed again and this time it came out as a cough. Jack patted his back until the coughing petered off. Ianto wondered, briefly, how long it would take to catch his death in the ice cold shower.

“She was amazing, though,” Jack continued, rubbing circles on Ianto’s skin. “The things she could do with her hands. Wow. There was this one time, when we were on the run from her father, the king. We hid in a supply closet. It got kind of boring in there, so we started to…mess around a bit. Let me tell you, when she stuck her finger…”

“Agh!” Ianto cried, trying to cover his ears. “God, J-Jack!”

“What?” asked Jack, an innocent look on his face. He pressed his groin into Ianto’s, and Ianto groaned. Jack thrust against him slowly. “I gotta say, Ianto, it’s nothing compared to what you can do with your tongue…”

“Alright, Harkness,” called Owen, “that’s enough of that! Let’s get Ianto out of there and I’ll check his temperature again.”

Jack shrugged, giving Ianto a wink before turning off the tap. He reached his hand out for a towel. Owen handed one to him and Jack dried them both quickly and efficiently. He then wrapped the towel around Ianto’s waist and helped him step out of the shower.

“Oi, Harkness! Put that away!”

Jack looked down at himself and Ianto’s eyes followed. The captain smirked. “What, Owen, you’ve never seen a hard on before?”

“That shower was bloody freezing,” Owen replied, shaking his head. “Only you.”

“I can’t help it if Ianto’s hot.”

“It’s the f-fever,” Ianto replied, smiling.

“Ha ha,” said Owen, pointing towards the pile of clothes on the bench. “Cover up before I lose my lunch.”

Jack did as he was told and started dressing while Owen ran the Bekaran scanner over him again. He scowled for a moment as he pushed some buttons, then ran it over him again.

“Thirty-eight,” he stated, nodding. “Not where I’d like it to be but out of the immediate danger territory. Plenty of fluids, the Paracetamol, and a bed rest should take care of it.”

“B-bed rest?” Ianto asked, frowning.

“That’s right, Tea Boy,” replied Owen. “I want you off your feet and horizontal.”

“Why, Owen,” said Jack, buttoning his shirt, “if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were hitting on him.”

Owen glared. “Yeah, you would think that, wouldn’t you?” To Ianto he said, “I mean it. I want you to go home and get some sleep. I’ll be over to check on you this evening. And if you start feeling pain again, take two Paracetamol and call me. I’ll send you home with them.”

“Alright, Owen,” Ianto agreed. He reached for underwear and Owen turned away from them, heading out of the shower room. 

“I’ll take you home,” said Jack, handing him his trousers. “I don’t want you driving by yourself right now.”

Ianto nodded, taking the trousers from him and slipping them on. He wasn’t in a mood to argue. He pulled on his socks and shoes next and then looked around. “Where are the rest of my clothes?”

“Upstairs in Owen’s lair,” Jack replied. “We had to take them off earlier.”

“Oh,” he said, not remembering a lot of his time right after the incident. “I guess it was even worse than I thought.”

Jack put his hands on Ianto’s bare shoulders. “You gave us quite a scare.”

“I just remember the pain getting worse and worse,” he said, rubbing his stomach. “And I could hear you both talking, but only picked up a little of the conversation. I heard Owen say I was too warm, and there was a risk to the baby.”

“You asked us to save it.”

“I do remember that.”

Jack smiled, squeezing his shoulders before releasing them. “Alright, let’s get you upstairs and dressed, I’ll grab our things and then we’ll go.”

“Okay,” Ianto replied.

He followed Jack out of the shower room and up into the main Hub. When the girls saw him they rushed towards him, both talking over each other and trying to assess how he was feeling.

“I’m alright,” he told them, smiling. “Still a bit of a fever but an icy shower took that down quite a bit.”

“Oh you poor thing,” said Gwen, feeling his forehead and then clucking her tongue. “You’re still so warm!”

“It’s going to take time,” he said.

“Will you be going home?” asked Tosh. “I can stop by after work and bring you some soup.”

Jack arrived with Ianto’s shirt, jacket, and tie. “Ladies, ladies…Ianto is already in good hands. I’ll be taking him home.”

“Will you stay the night?” asked Gwen. Her eyes were wide and she was giving them a no nonsense look. “He’s going to need someone there to look after him.”

“And keep him company,” added Tosh.

“Yes, and you’re both right,” said Jack, giving them a placating smile. “If you can man the fort tonight I will make sure Ianto is taken care of.”

Ianto blushed, securing the last button on his shirt before slipping into his coat. He shoved the tie in his pocket. He’d be taking it off again soon enough.

“The fuss really isn’t necessary,” he told them, shaking his head. “I’m feeling much better. I can handle sleeping just fine.”

“And eating,” said Gwen. “You don’t eat enough, Ianto.

“And plenty of fluids!” warned Owen, coming to stand at the top of the stairs and folding his arms across his chest. “If you haven’t been drinking enough fluids I’ll be able to tell.”

“I’ll make sure he drinks fluids,” promised Jack.

Tosh giggled and Gwen snorted in a very unladylike manner. Owen just looked disgusted and disappeared down into his medical bay.

“Alright,” said Jack, “let’s go.”

“Your coat, sir?”

Jack’s eyes widened. “Right. Not sure how I forgot that.” He sprinted off toward the back stairs to his office, appearing again a few moments later with said coat around his shoulders. “Much better.”

“We’ll grab my things on the way out,” Ianto said, turning towards the exit. “I left my mobile, wallet, and keys in reception.”

They headed out of the Hub and up into the tourist office. Ianto got his items from the safe in the back room and then they made their way to Ianto’s Saab.

“Alright if I drive?” Jack asked him, holding a hand out for the keys.

“That’ll be fine,” Ianto replied, turning over the keys. “Probably best.”

They sat for a moment inside the car before Jack turned to him, leaning over to cup his cheek. He pressed a gentle kiss to Ianto’s lips and then pulled back, smiling. He started the car, his hand reaching for Ianto’s once they were out on the street.

“I really was worried about you, Ianto.”

“I know, sir. Jack.” He squeezed the captain’s hand. “Thank you for being there.”

“I wouldn’t have been anywhere else.”

Ianto watched the other cars on the street as they went about their business. They had no idea that Torchwood was always looking out for them. Captain Jack Harkness more so than anyone. He looked out for the entire city, and especially his team. Ianto wasn’t sure he truly needed anyone to stay with him tonight, but he knew he’d feel safer and more secure with Jack there.

When they got to his flat Ianto opened the door, and Jack left his coat hanging on the rack in the hallway. Wasting no time on niceties Ianto headed straight for the bedroom. He stripped off his clothes and changed into pajamas, sliding into the bed.

Jack smiled at him from the doorway before coming over to sit on the edge of the bed. He brushed Ianto’s damp hair off his forehead. “You look tired.”

“I feel it,” said Ianto.

“I’ll get you some water.”

Ianto nodded and watched as Jack left the room. He could hear the tap running in the kitchen and smiled when Jack returned, placing the glass and two pills on the bedside table.

“Owen gave me your pills,” he explained, rattling the small bottle before setting it on the table as well. “You might not need them, but just in case.”

“Always be prepared,” Ianto said, stifling a yawn. He reached for the water and took a long drink before setting it back down and rolling onto his back. “You really don’t need to stay.”

“I think I do,” Jack disagreed, tucking the covers over him. “Owen will be here to check on you tonight, but until that fever is gone you shouldn’t be alone.”

“Thanks, Jack.”

“My pleasure,” the captain replied. He pressed a kiss to Ianto’s forehead before getting up and again leaving the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Ianto awoke and stretched, feeling quite cozy under the covers. He didn’t really want to move but he was a bit thirsty and there was a throbbing pain in his stomach. Opening his eyes he reached for half full glass of water on the table and scooped up the pills. He swallowed them down and placed the empty glass back on the table.

The knock on the flat door confused him for a moment before he remembered Owen was due to stop by that evening. He didn’t get up, however, as he could hear Jack making his way to the door.

A couple minutes later Owen appeared in the doorway. The doctor flipped on the light and then made his way to the bed.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, placing his hand on Ianto’s forehead.

“Not too bad,” Ianto replied. “A little stomach pain, but I took more Paracetamol.

“Alright,” said Owen. He pressed his fingers on either side of Ianto’s throat. “Lymph nodes are swollen.”

“What does that mean?” asked Jack, standing with his back to the door.

“It means he’s still suffering a reaction to the baby,” replied the medic, opening the bag he had placed at his side. “I’m going to have to administer the immunosuppressant.” 

“Will it be harmful to either one of us?” asked Ianto. He was more worried about the baby than himself, if he were being honest.

Owen withdrew liquid from a vial, tapping the needle. “It’s going to mean you’re even more susceptible to illness. If you catch a cold it could become quite serious. As for the baby, it really needs the antibodies your system makes naturally, and to put it simply, I have to block those.”

“What will happen to the baby after it’s born?” Ianto questioned, frowning.

“That depends,” said the doctor, holding up the needle. “If I have to continue to give you this drug the baby will likely be at risk for at least its first year of life, similar to what a premature baby would go through. But I’m more concerned with you right now, Ianto.”

The Welshman sighed. “I’ll be fine, I’m sure. I can look out for myself.”

“Perhaps, but there is still the chance you could develop hypertension, peptic ulcers, even problems with your liver or kidneys.”

“Are you suggesting he not take the drug?” asked Jack.

“Not at all,” said Owen. “I’m just explaining how serious it is. I want Ianto to be aware of all the potential problems he and the baby could face with this treatment. It’s up to you, Ianto. Do you want me to use this drug?”

“Will I be able to have the baby safely without it?” he replied.

“It’s possible, but not probable. Once the body begins to react against a foreign agent, such as an organ that’s been transferred, or, in this case, a baby, it tends to continue to do so. You’d be at risk for another miscarriage, and could possibly die if you developed another fever.”

Ianto thought for a moment, considering his options. If he didn’t let Owen administer the immunosuppressive dug serious problems could arise. He could die, and the baby most likely would. If he took it, there could still be side effects for both himself and the child, still potentially life threatening for them both. As far as he could see the first option wasn’t really an option at all, unless he was looking to terminate the pregnancy, which he’d already decided not to do.

“Give me the drug,” he said, holding out his arm.

“Are you sure, Ianto?” said Jack, concern all over his face.

He gave Jack a small smile, looking him directly in the eyes. “There’s no other choice, sir. I already made my decision not to abort this baby.”

“And the side effects?”

“We’ll monitor him closely, Jack,” Owen told him. “If there’s a problem we’ll be there to fix it. You said yourself that male pregnancies aren’t easy. I think Ianto is proving the point.”

Jack held Ianto’s gaze for a few more seconds and then dropped it, looking at Owen. “Well then, you heard the man.”

Owen looked back at Ianto and Ianto nodded. Owen felt his arm, found the vein, and injected the drug. Ianto sighed and lay back, waiting for the twinge to go away. 

“Alright,” said Owen, putting the needle away, “we’re going to do this again in twelve hours, and every twelve hours after that. We’ll do this for a few days. We’ll see how your body reacts and take it from there.”

“Aren’t there tablets he could take?” Jack inquired, coming to sit on the side of the bed when as Owen stood up.

“There are, but for now I need to monitor him and any reactions to the medication. So for the time being I am going to be giving him injections instead. And you, Ianto, will be on bed rest.”

Ianto’s eyes widened. “What?”

“You heard me. The risk of hypertension is very real, and if it continues during gestation past twenty weeks you could develop Preeclampsia, and if not caught in time, Eclampsia. I’m not taking that risk with your health.”

Ianto swallowed the lump in his throat. There was so very much to consider regarding this pregnancy. If he had just gone with the alternative he wouldn’t have to deal with all the health risks, but he knew he couldn’t kill a child. He’d never deny someone else the right to an abortion, but it had never really been in the cards for him. No, he was going to play by the rules and have a healthy baby, so that a family somewhere could have a child they might not be able to have otherwise.

“Alright, Owen,” Ianto agreed. “For how long?”

“For the length of this initial treatment. We can change things up once we know it’s working.”

Ianto’s eyes widened but he didn’t argue. Instead he nodded, relaxing into the bed. If this was what was needed, he couldn’t fight it. “Will you be alright without me at work?”

Jack placed a hand on his arm. “We’ll make do,” he said, smiling. 

“I will be able to get up to use the bathroom, and get food?”

Owen nodded. “Just nothing strenuous. Toilet, bath, food, and drink. For the most part I want you off your feet, either lying on the couch or in this bed. No showers.” He turned to look at Jack. “And no sex.”

Jack gave the medic an innocent look. “I swear I wasn’t even thinking about it.”

“Mmhmm. Sure you weren’t.” To Ianto he said, “Any questions?”

“No,” he replied. “None that I can think of at the moment.”

“Then I’ll be heading out. See you tomorrow morning.”

Owen grabbed his bag and headed out of the room. A few moments later the flat door opened and closed, leaving the two men alone once more.

Jack rubbed his arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Are you hungry? I could get you something to eat.”

His stomach starting to feel better, Ianto realized he was a little hungry. “Maybe something small.”

“Sandwich?”

“Yes, please.”

“I’ll be right back,” the captain replied, standing and leaving the room.

Ianto placed a hand on his stomach, rubbing in small circles. “You’re an awful lot of trouble already,” he told the baby, smiling. “I hope you realize that. Whoever your parents turn out to be they’d better beware. They’re going to have a fight on their hands.”

He received no reply, but of course didn’t expect one. He simply continued to stroke his stomach as if the baby were aware and could feel it. It was comforting to him.

When Jack returned he brought with him a tray. On it he’d placed two sandwiches, two glasses of juice, and a bowl of grapes. “I figured we’d eat together.”

“Will you be feeding me the grapes, sir?” Ianto asked, smirking.

“I hadn’t planned on it, but if you’d prefer…”

Ianto shook his head, pushing himself up in the bed. “That really won’t be necessary.”

“Oh I don’t know,” Jack replied, holding up a grape between two fingers and then popping it into his mouth, “it could be quite hot.”

Ianto’s eyebrow rose as he reached for a sandwich. “That’s dangerous territory, sir,” he said. “Doctor’s orders were to have no sex.”

Jack growled. “I know. Believe me, I know.”

Ianto took a bite of his sandwich. Cheese and pickle, his favorite. He chewed carefully, watching as Jack bit into his own sandwich with his typical vigor. They ate in silence for several minutes, Ianto lost in his own thoughts.

When the food was gone they each finished their drinks, and then Ianto lay back down, full and satisfied. Jack took the tray of dishes out of the room and from the sounds heard through the flat was cleaning up the kitchen. Ianto wasn’t sure what kind of a mess Jack could have made just getting together sandwiches and fruit, but far be it from him to argue the point.

Jack returned with Ianto’s portable DVD player. He didn’t remember showing the captain where it was, so the man must have found it while snooping at some point. With the player there was also a stack of movies. Looking at the time, Ianto realized it was already after eight. 

“Are you planning on us watching all of those tonight?” he asked Jack, nodding towards the DVDs in his hand.

Jack settled on the bed next to him, positioning the player so they could both easily see it. “Maybe.”

“If we do, we’ll be up quite late.”

Jack shrugged. “I don’t mind. Are you tired?”

“Not really. That was quite a long nap.”

“Well, then let’s just see how many we get through, shall we?”

Ianto smiled. “Alright.”

Five hours later Ianto found himself yawning through “Golden Eye.” He looked over at Jack but the other man appeared wide awake, watching the movie attentively. He slipped a little lower in the bed, turning onto his side.

His eyes opened with a start, and he found Jack looking down at him, a smirk on his face. “Tired now?” the captain asked, a sparkle in his eyes.

Ianto’s own eyes narrowed. “How long was I asleep?”

“About five minutes.”

“And were you watching me the whole time?”

Jack’s smirk didn’t waiver. “It’s possible.”

Ianto huffed. “That’s rather creepy, sir.”

Jack laughed, grabbing the DVD player and DVDs. “I’ll just put these over here,” he said, turning to set everything on the table beside him. Getting up to turn off the light, Jack slipped out of his clothes until he was just wearing his boxers. He climbed back onto bed. “Let’s get some sleep.”

“Is the door locked?” Ianto asked.

“Locked it when I went to make dinner.”

Satisfied, Ianto wiggled around until he’d found the perfect position and watched as Jack slipped the covers over himself. They were lying facing each other and Jack smiled at him.

“What?” said Ianto.

“Can’t I just smile at you?”

“No.”

“I need a reason?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” replied Jack, reaching out to stroke a thumb over Ianto’s cheek. “You’re adorable.”

Ianto cringed. “I am not adorable. Drop dead sexy, maybe. But not adorable.”

Jack laughed. “I happen to think you’re adorable.”

“Adorable is a term best reserved for puppies and kittens,” explained Ianto. “Not for a grown man.”

“I like it.”

“I don’t.”

“Your nose is adorable,” said Jack, his smirk turning into a grin.

Ianto groaned. “You’re just trying to irritate me now.”

Jack scooted forward and kissed the tip of Ianto’s nose. “I stand by my assessment.”

Rolling his eyes, Ianto turned over with his back to Jack, settling into the bed and yawning again. He heard and felt movement and then Jack was pressed up behind him, arm wrapped around his middle. A hand slid to his stomach and settled there. Ianto sighed.

“Is this comfortable?” the captain asked, his breath a whisper against the shell of Ianto’s ear.

“Yes, it’s fine,” Ianto replied. It was actually more than fine, if the stirring in his groin was anything to go by. But the good doctor had said no sex. It was going to be tough. His hormones kicked in at the most inopportune times.

Jack pressed a kiss to the back of his neck and Ianto suppressed a moan. “Goodnight, Ianto.”

“Goodnight, Jack.”

When Ianto once again awoke, he could hear the shower running. He blinked bleary eyes at the clock and saw that it was just before six. Owen would be there in a couple of hours to give him his next injection, likely on his way into the Hub.

Sitting up, Ianto worked the kinks out of his muscles. He hadn’t tossed and turned, probably due to Jack’s presence, but he’d obviously stayed in one position too long, not moving at all. Jack was like an octopus when he slept, wrapping himself around Ianto.

Jack returned to the room after a few minutes, smiling at Ianto as he got dressed. “You should be sleeping. Did I wake you?”

“No,” Ianto replied, pushing the covers aside. “It wasn’t you. Just not able to sleep anymore. Owen will be here soon.”

Jack buttoned his shirt, walking over to wear Ianto was now sitting on the side of the bed. He sat beside him, kissing his temple. “Not for a couple hours yet,” he said. “Want me to draw you a bath?”

Ianto thought about laying in the bath, relaxing his muscles. “That sounds lovely.”

“Alright. I’ll get that started and then make you a nice breakfast.”

“You don’t have to do all that, sir,” Ianto stated. “I can handle it.”

“I know you can, but I’m not going into the Hub until Owen’s been here anyway. It’ll give me something to do.”

Ianto nodded, getting to his feet. Jack disappeared into the bathroom to get the water running while Ianto stripped out of his clothes. What he really would have liked was a nice cup of coffee, but that was out of the cards for several more months. More than he’d like to consider.

Once the bath was ready Ianto slipped down into the water, groaning at how very good it felt. He slipped down until only his face was above the water. It required folding his legs in order to fit properly, but tubs in flats weren’t really made with a tall man in mind.

He stayed that way for about twenty minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet, and then began to wash himself with the flannel Jack had left for him. For some reason, even though it had only been a day, he felt grungy and in need of a good scrub. Perhaps it was being so ill for a short time. The cold shower hadn’t done a thing for him but bring down his fever.

After draining the tub and rinsing himself as well as he could without actually taking a shower, Ianto got out and dried himself off. He brushed his teeth, then headed to the bedroom where he dressed quickly.

Food was on the table once he’d reemerged and Ianto took a seat. “Everything looks so good, Jack. But…”

“But?”

“There’s enough here to feed the whole team. Did you call them over?”

Jack chuckled. “No, I just figured you might be hungry. We didn’t eat much last night.”

Ianto nodded in agreement, stomach growling as he eyed the spread. There was bacon, eggs, buttered toast, pancakes, and oatmeal. He helped himself to eggs and toast, liberally spreading the strawberry jam. Taking a bite of toast he closed his eyes. It was delicious.

He opened his eyes again to find Jack watching him, not touching his own food. “You’re watching me again,” he said, after swallowing his mouthful.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that enthralled with food.”

Ianto shrugged. “It’s the baby, I think. What is it they say? I’m eating for two.”

Jack scooped some oatmeal into a bowl and then took a slice of toast, biting into it with a smile. “I’m glad I thought ahead,” he said, around a mouthful of food. 

Ianto took a sip of orange juice. “Although, if I keep eating this way, I’m bound to look like a whale, soon. It’s one thing to eat takeaways and then work it off out in the field. Bed rest means I won’t be shedding any extra weight.”

“You look fine, Ianto.”

“Once this baby is out and gone I’m going to be on a serious diet,” Ianto replied, taking a forkful of eggs. “My suits are starting not to fit.”

He didn’t notice the sad look that passed over the captain’s face, his attention solely on the food in front of him. When his eggs were finished he reached for bacon, giving a sound of approval at the taste.

“This is really very good, sir,” he told Jack. “Your culinary skills have vastly improved.”

“Thank you, Ianto.”

The tone of his voice caused Ianto to look up, his eyebrow rising. “Are you alright?”

Jack gave him a small smile. “I’m fine.”

Ianto wasn’t so sure. There was something off in his tone. But he returned the captain’s smile and dug back into his food. He was much hungrier than he’d thought.


	14. Chapter 14

Saturday was upon him before he’d realized it. The days had gone by much faster than expected, even being on bed rest. Owen had monitored him closely and confirmed his temperature seemed to be fine, his blood pressure was remaining normal, and since there hadn’t been any further incidents with pain he was safe to get back on his feet. The doctor did insist he remain on the immunosuppressive drugs, however, for at least a week more, but he’d lowered the dose to once a day. If there were no more issues at the end of the coming week he’d consider taking Ianto off the drugs for a trial period.

Ianto would be happy to avoid the injections. He felt tethered to the Hub in a way he never had before, no matter how much time he spent there. Having to get injections at a set time every day meant that he was never free to take time away. Not that he took holidays.

Owen had told him before that his body was changing in ways that should accommodate the baby, and he hoped that meant that as time went on he’d have fewer problems. There was no one for him to turn to when it came to questions regarding the pregnancy. Owen and Jack only knew so much, and he couldn’t really go online to a support group. They could only tell him what women should expect during pregnancy. His case was far too different.

Ianto rubbed his stomach as he stood in front of the mirror. He turned left, then right, frowning at his reflection. He was now up over five kilo, and was barely at the seven week mark of his pregnancy. He’d done a little research. He knew he shouldn’t put on too much weight or it would be detrimental to his own health. And getting that weight back off would be extremely difficult.

His baby bump wasn’t really showing yet. He knew it was there, but in clothing no one else would be able to tell. That didn’t stop his clothes from being snug, however. He now only had three suits that would fit properly. As he dressed for their date at the museum his wardrobe mocked him.

Finally settling on a pair of loose-fitting dress trousers and a dark red, wool jumper, Ianto had just finished dressing when there was a knock at the door. Expecting Jack, he tugged the door open, saying, “I hope you don’t mind I didn’t wear a suit.”

“Well actually, I think you look smashing.”

Ianto blushed, finding his neighbor on his doorstep. “Megan, hello. I was expecting my…boss.”

“The handsome bloke with the cool military coat?” she asked.

“That would be him.”

“I see,” she said, smiling. “Well, I just stopped by to give this invitation to you.”

Ianto took the envelope she was holding out to him. “Invitation?”

“My folks are hosting a party for the building,” she explained, smile widening. “They were hoping you could go. It’s next Saturday. Nothing too big, just a get together over some drinks and food. You know the sort.”

“That’s very kind of them, but I’m afraid I’ll likely be working.”

Megan’s face fell. “Oh. I suppose you do work a lot,” she agreed. “But you did say you’re going to see your boss tonight. Maybe you could ask for the evening off?”

Ianto gave her a smile. “If I tell him he’s likely to want to go as well.”

“I’m sure that would be fine,” Megan replied, looking hopeful. “If you want to bring him along, that is.”

Ianto was about to respond when the man in question came bounding up the stairs, a grin plastered to his face. “Well, hello there,” he said, taking Megan’s hand and kissing her knuckles. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced. Captain Jack Harkness.”

Megan blushed a bright pink, smiling shyly. “Megan Lewis,” she said, slowly taking her hand back. “I-I live downstairs with my parents.”

“Oh? Ianto didn’t tell me he had such attractive neighbors.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Sir, don’t you think we should be going?”

“I should be going too,” said Megan, backing slowly away. “They’ll be expecting me back now. I hope we’ll see you this next weekend, Ianto. And you too, Captain.”

With that she practically flew down the stairs, her long black hair flowing behind her. Ianto raised an eyebrow as Jack watched her go. “Far too young for you, sir. She’s only nineteen.”

“Hey, that’s legal!” Ianto glared and Jack stepped closer, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. “I’m joking. Now, what did she mean about next weekend?”

Ianto held up the envelope and slipped the card out. “It appears I am cordially invited to attend a dinner party at the Lewis residence. Saturday at eight.”

“I see. And did you want to go?”

Ianto licked his lips. “To be honest I’m not sure, sir. I’m not really the partying type.”

“Who else will be there?”

Slipping the card back into the envelope Ianto motioned for Jack to follow him into the flat. Jack closed the door behind them and Ianto led the way to the lounge. He dropped the envelope onto the table, picking up his wallet and mobile and sliding them into his back pockets.

“It’s a party for the building, according to Megan. I told her I might have to work and she suggested I ask you for the time off. I informed her you’d probably want to go.”

“Ah,” said Jack with a chuckle. “That explains her parting words. It might be fun, Ianto.”

Hands on hips, Ianto thought about it. “I don’t really know many of my neighbors,” he admitted. “It would be a chance to get to know them.”

“Then it’s settled. We’ll pick up a bottle of wine as a gift, make our appearance, enjoy a bit of dinner and frivolity, then excuse ourselves. Nothing to it.”

Ianto smiled. “That simple?”

“That simple.”

“And when they want to know all about what we do for a living?”

Jack shrugged. “We’ll give them the same answer we give everyone else. We’re public servants. Now, are you ready to go?

“I am, yes.”

Jack cupped his face in both hands and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “You look amazing, by the way.” He stroked a finger down the front of Ianto’s jumper. “Love the color.”

“I thought you might,” Ianto replied. “It’s also one of the few items of clothing that still fit.”

Shaking his head, Jack leaned down to scoop up Ianto’s keys. He handed them to the Welshman and then took his hand, leading him back out of the flat. Once Ianto had locked the door and turned back, Jack pressed him against the wood and snogged him senseless.

“W-what was that for?” Ianto asked, breathless as he looked around to see if anyone had noticed them.

“I don’t care if your clothing doesn’t fit, Ianto,” Jack said, smirking. “You’re always going to be sexy as hell, baby bump or not.”

“Shhh!” Ianto reprimanded, ducking his head. “Unless you’re planning to tell the whole building!”

Jack laughed, taking Ianto’s hand again as they headed down the stairs. “Pretty sure the world isn’t ready for that, yet,” Jack said, voice lowered. “But that changes none of the sentiment.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

When they arrived at the museum Ianto smiled up at the mural on the side of the building. It was of a mummy’s sarcophagus, and it announced the arrival of the Egyptian exhibit. He’d actually been looking quite forward to going, and was beyond pleased when Owen let him off bed rest in time. While he knew it would be in town for a couple months, he’d have been disappointed not to get to see it. There was always the possibility he’d have been stuck at home.

The captain had purchased their tickets ahead of time, so they were scanned in at the exhibit itself and led to a waiting room. There were screens on the walls to explain what they would be learning about that afternoon.

“I’m hoping this is good,” Jack whispered, sitting down beside him.

“I’m sure it will be. Didn’t you read up on it before you bought tickets?”

Jack shrugged. “Not really. I just figured it looked interesting.”

They sat for a few minutes before they were called into another room. It resembled a small theater, and they were handed 3D glasses. Jack put his on immediately and Ianto laughed. They were made of paper and shaped like the eyes of Egyptian artists’ work.

“Very dashing,” Ianto told him, shaking his head.

The film began and it wasn’t long before Ianto was enthralled. It was a look into a sealed sarcophagus, via a CT scan, and it showed everything from skin tissue to bone, and all that lay in between. The room was even able to tell what sex the mummy was, and there were many chuckles around them when the narrator made mention of it.

They left the theater amidst much chatter, and Jack slipped his arm around Ianto’s waist. “Pretty cool stuff,” he said simply.

“It absolutely was,” Ianto agreed.

They were now in a room that held many Egyptian artifacts from the British Museum. They ranged from pottery to a replica of the Rosetta Stone, and at the end of the room lay Nesperennub himself. Ianto couldn’t believe that everything he’d seen on the screen in the other room was actually within the sarcophagus in front of him. It was one of the reasons ancient Egypt fascinated him. 

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Jack asked him later, as they were pulling into the car park of the restaurant where they planned to have dinner.

“I did, sir, thank you.”

“Maybe we can look into more cultural things to do around here,” said Jack. “Some of the places in those pamphlets you give out to tourists.”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “Somehow I can’t picture you attending an art show with me.”

“What?”

“Or a symphony,” he added.

“Why not? I happen to like music, thank you very much.”

“I don’t think the City of Cardiff Symphony Orchestra plays what you’d like, sir.”

“Well,” Jack replied, looking smug, “there’s the Glenn Miller Orchestra in Birmingham.”

Ianto wrinkled his nose. “I was thinking something more classical.”

“Okay,” agreed Jack, parking the car. “We’ll go to both.”

Jack grinned and Ianto huffed, knowing there was no way he’d be able to get out of it now.

“Very well,” he said.


	15. Chapter 15

Ianto held up two shirts in front of him, one a blue jumper, and the other a red dress shirt. He watched as Jack seemed to ponder both selections with great care. After several minutes, however, Ianto became impatient.

“The blue jumper it is,” he announced, dropping the red shirt to the bed.

“Aw, I was gonna choose the red one,” Jack said, pouting.

“Too slow,” Ianto replied. “If I’d waited much longer for your opinion we’d have been here all night.”

Jack grinned, stepping well into Ianto’s personal space. “I can’t say that idea doesn’t appeal to me.”

Shaking his head, Ianto stepped away. “We haven’t been cleared for that sort of activity yet,” he pointed out, slipping the blue jumper over his t-shirt. “Wouldn’t want to make the good doctor angry, yeah?”

Jack growled. “I think he’s being far too cautious. Besides, there are other things we could do.”

Running a hand through his hair, Ianto sighed. “You’re the one who insisted we go to this party.”

“Megan was just so adamant,” Jack replied.

“You just want to go because she’s cute. There will be drinking. You don’t drink. And I certainly can’t.”

“Maybe not,” said Jack, shrugging, “but I do like to socialize. Plenty of opportunity to get to know your neighbors.”

Ianto groaned, checking his appearance in the mirror. His gray trousers set off the navy blue of the jumper quite splendidly, if he did say so himself. Dress shirt would have looked even better, but he really should keep it casual. If he were honest the jumper was far more comfortable anyway.

“I’m scared on their behalf,” Ianto said, batting away Jack’s hands as they slipped around his waist from behind. 

“They’ll love me.”

“Undoubtedly,” replied Ianto. “They’ll fall for your charms and I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Ianto Jones, are you jealous of my effect on the general population?”

Ianto turned around, face serious. “Absolutely not. The whole world could adore you and it wouldn’t change how I feel. But there’s only so many times I can listen to the women at the dry cleaners beg me for your number. Or have the gentleman at our local coffee shop ask me to put in a good word for him.”

“Ah, I see,” said Jack, wrapping his arms around Ianto. “It’s not me your jealous of, it’s them.”

“I am not jealous.”

“You are,” Jack teased, grinning again. “But you know I only have eyes for you.”

Ianto smirked. “Those are song lyrics.”

“Applicable ones,” Jack replied. He leaned in and kissed Ianto, easing his tongue between the Welshman’s lips and eliciting a moan.

“We need to go,” Ianto murmured as he reluctantly broke the kiss. “We’re meant to be there at eight.”

Jack glanced down at his watch before tightening his grip on the man in his arms, his eyes darkening. “We have ten minutes.”

“Jack…”

The captain pressed a series of open-mouthed kisses along Ianto’s jaw, moving slowly lower until he could suck the skin of Ianto’s neck into his mouth. Ianto gasped, hands clinging to the front of Jack’s shirt.

When one of Jack’s hands slid down and around his hip, Ianto tried to protest, but Jack wasn’t taking no for an answer. He cupped the front of Ianto’s trousers, slowly stroking Ianto to full arousal.

“Owen said…”

“Shh,” Jack interrupted, biting the spot where Ianto’s neck met his shoulder. “We’re not having sex. Not the kind he means, anyway.”

Ianto bit his lip, feeling his cock throb under Jack’s ministrations. It had been so long he was afraid he might come before things went any further. The captain seemed to understand his desperation, however, and quickly undid his belt and trousers. Ianto’s cock strained against his underwear, and Ianto sighed when Jack pushed everything down to his ankles, letting the air hit him.

The sight of Jack on his knees in front of him was one of which Ianto would never tire. The way his bright, blue eyes held Ianto’s as he slowly licked from base to tip, the way he used a hand to cup and massage his balls. Ianto was trembling so much he thought he would fall, but Jack’s mouth grounded him.

Ianto buried his fingers in Jack’s thick hair, guiding him without forcing him down onto his cock. The captain moved willingly, swallowing him whole and hollowing his cheeks before drawing back and sucking on just the head. Spikes of pleasure shot through Ianto and he knew he wouldn’t last long.

“God, Jack!”

The captain hummed around his prize, using his tongue to swirl in patterns over the wet skin. When his teeth grazed against him Ianto groaned, thrusting forward. Luckily Jack maintained his balance, one hand on Ianto’s hip, and his other fingers moving further back and stroking against the little ring of muscle there.

Ianto came with a grunt, his fingers tightening in Jack’s hair as the man milked him through his orgasm. By the time the waves of pleasure had subsided Ianto’s knees felt like mush. Jack pulled back and kissed the tip of Ianto’s cock, smiling at the look of ecstasy Ianto knew he was wearing.

“And not a drop wasted,” Jack said proudly, getting to his feet. “Stay right there. I’ll grab something to clean up.”

Ianto did as he was told. He’d have been embarrassed by how quickly Jack had made him come, but he knew they were in a hurry. He looked down at his watch, grimacing when he saw they only had a few minutes left. They weren’t going to make it on time.

“Jack?”

“Right here,” the captain said, emerging from the hallway and walking back to stand in front of Ianto. He carefully ran the warm flannel over him, making sure not to miss any parts he might have left sticky. “There, all better.”

“We’re going to be late,” said Ianto. Ignoring the fact that he was still damp, he started to lean down to pull up his clothing. 

Jack set the flannel down on the bedside table and pushed Ianto back upright. “No, let me.”

Ianto watched as Jack pulled up his pants, slipping them over his hips and then sliding his hands under Ianto’s jumper and t-shirt. Ianto moved to push him away but Jack grabbed his hands.

“Jack, don’t.”

“You’ve nothing to be ashamed of,” the captain replied, letting Ianto’s hands go and pushing his shirt and jumper up. He pressed a kiss to the slight bump that was beginning to show. “You’re pregnant, not fat.”

Ianto swallowed, tugging his clothing back into place. “It’s not attractive.”

Jack sighed and pulled up Ianto’s trousers, allowing the Welshman to fasten them and re-buckle his belt. “I disagree.”

Jack grabbed the flannel and left the room. Ianto looked at himself in the mirror once more before heading out into the lounge to get his things. By the time he had his keys, wallet, and mobile Jack had joined him with the bottle of wine they’d purchased.

“Ready?”

“Yep,” Ianto confirmed, taking the wine from him.

Jack grabbed their coats and handed Ianto his. After the Welshman put his own on he made sure Jack’s was lint free and settled on his shoulders.

“We’re late,” said Jack as Ianto locked the door.

“I’m quite aware.”

Jack drew him into a hug, kissing his neck. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Ianto replied, pulling away and shoving his free hand into his pocket. “Shall we go?”

They started down the stairs single file, and walked side by side once they reached the bottom. Jack slipped his arm around Ianto’s waist, tugging him closer. Ianto didn’t protest as he normally would. There appeared to be no one around to see them.

When they arrived at the right door, Jack raised his hand to knock, letting his arm fall away from Ianto’s side. He winked at Ianto and Ianto gave him a nod.

The door opened and a well-dressed man in his fifties beamed out at them. “I’m so glad you could make it, Ianto!” he said. “And you must be Captain Jack Harkness.”

Jack shook the man’s hand and returned his grin. “That would be me. Your daughter invited me along. I hope that’s alright.”

“Well of course it is,” he replied, opening the door wider and ushering them inside. “I’m Daffyd and that gorgeous woman over there in the purple is my beloved Seren. My darling, Mr. Jones and Captain Harkness are here!”

“This is for the both of you,” said Ianto, handing the man the bottle of wine.

“Oh, a fine red vintage. We’ll be enjoying this, believe you me.”

Mrs. Lewis made her way over to them as Mr. Lewis closed the door and wandered off into the lounge. She was a striking woman. Long, dark hair, fair skin, and a smile that lit up a room.

Jack took her hand in much the same way that he’d held her daughter’s. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I can certainly see where Megan gets her good looks.”

Seren Lewis blushed fiercely. “Captain Harkness, you are much too kind.”

“It’s Jack, please.”

“Alright, Jack,” she corrected, taking her hand back. “Ianto, dear.”

“Hello Mrs. Lewis. I’m very sorry we’re late.”

She huffed. “Don’t be silly, Ianto. It was only a guideline, not carved in Welsh stone.”

Ianto smiled, nodding towards the coat rack where she had been standing when they’d arrived. “Shall we leave our coats here, then?”

“Oh, yes,” she replied, holding out her hand. Both men removed their coats, handing them over to her. “Now go on in and enjoy the party. Refreshments are out and I’ll be serving dinner shortly. Nothing special, just some rarebit.”

“It sounds delicious,” Jack replied.

They made their way into the lounge, where Ianto greeted several of the neighbors he was familiar with. There were quite a few others he didn’t know. He tended to keep to himself, only speaking to those he ran into while checking his mail, or while coming or going.

By the time Mrs. Lewis served the meal Jack had made sure they knew everyone at the party. There were close to twenty people there, including themselves and the Lewises. They gathered around the dinner table, the coffee table in the lounge, and even the kitchen counter and the table on the balcony. It was a much larger flat than Ianto’s. He’d have never had the room.

The food was delicious, but as planned, not long after they ate he and Jack made their farewells, thanking Mr. and Mrs. Lewis profusely for inviting them over. Ianto was feeling tired, which happened more and more frequently now, and he was glad he didn’t have far to go to get home.

“The Lewises seem like great people,” Jack told him as they closed the door to Ianto’s flat.

“They really are,” Ianto agreed. He took Jack’s coat and hung it up, removing his own and placing it beside it on the rack. “They met at university and were married not long after graduation.”

“And Megan’s an only child?” Jack asked. Ianto nodded. “Then they waited a bit to have children.”

“They tried for many years, actually,” said Ianto, heading into the lounge. “They’re very open about it. Megan is their miracle baby.”

Jack followed him, raising his eyebrows. “No kidding. Seems there’s a lot of that going around.”

Ianto licked his lips. “I’m not sure I’d call this pregnancy a miracle, Jack.”

“And what would you call it?” Jack challenged. “Not a lot of men having babies in this century. In fact, you’re the only one.”

“I’d call it an accident, if I had to call it anything.”

“Ianto…”

“I wouldn’t have gotten pregnant without alien influence, and we certainly weren’t trying.”

“And therefore it’s an accident?” the captain asked.

“Yes.”

They stared at each other in uncomfortable silence for several seconds, until Ianto turned away. He headed into the kitchen, dropping his keys on the counter and setting his mobile phone and wallet beside them. When Jack followed, Ianto turned around.

“Would you like me to make you some coffee?”

“If you don’t mind, I’d love some.”

Ianto nodded, turning back to his kitchen and pouring some beans in the grinder. The smell was enough to make him salivate, but he knew he wouldn’t be having any. Not for at least seven more months. Instead he reached up into a cabinet and pulled out his herbal teas, settling on chamomile. He placed the loose leaf tea in his teapot.

“We haven’t had a chance to get out to any of the other agencies,” Ianto said, filling the coffee filter with grounds. He poured in the water and set the machine to brew. “Maybe I should make a few more appointments.”

“If that’s what you want,” replied Jack, standing with arms folded.

Ianto sighed as he placed a kettle of water on the stove to boil. “Yes, it’s what I want. You don’t have to go with me if you don’t want to, sir.”

“So we’re back to sir.”

Ianto spun around, suddenly angry. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to want this baby, Ianto!”

Ianto shook his head. “You know why I don’t.”

“No, I know why you’re afraid to,” corrected Jack. “But we’ve been over that. What’s in the past is passed.”

“Not for me it isn’t,” Ianto argued, turning to lean against the counter.

“Ianto, I know you. I know your temperament.” He started to move towards him but Ianto glared and the captain stopped, holding up his hands. “Look, I get it. Your dad was an angry man who couldn’t control his drinking. But you’re neither a drinker nor the type to fly off the handle. You’re probably the calmest man I know.”

Closing his eyes for a moment, Ianto sighed. “It takes extreme control and a lot of practice to be the way I am, sir. It’s not easy.”

“But that doesn’t mean you’re your father.”

“And it doesn’t mean I’m not,” he replied. The kettle whistled and he took two cups out of the cabinet. He poured the water into the teapot before reaching for the coffeepot and fixing Jack his coffee.

Handing the cup of black brew to the captain he picked up the teapot, bringing it and his cup to the table. He sat down and put his head in his hands.

Jack took a sip of his coffee and then set it down. “Are you alright?”

“I have a headache,” said Ianto, rubbing his temples.

“I’m sorry,” Jack said, moving behind him and settling his hands on his shoulders. “Let me.”

Ianto didn’t argue as Jack began to rub the tension out of his shoulders. “Even if what you’re saying is true,” he said, trying not to groan at how good the massage felt, “how would I explain a pregnancy to my family? ‘Oh, hi Rhiannon. Meet your niece or nephew. No, I didn’t settle down and get married behind your back. I just got up the duff by my boss. You know, the one you’ve never even met.’”

Jack chuckled. “Why, wouldn’t that go over well?”

Ianto groaned. “You’re not funny.”

Leaning closer, Jack whispered in his ear, “There’s a whole lot of time left to come up with a feasible story.”

“You really want this child, don’t you?” Ianto asked, picking up his teapot and pouring himself a cup. He decided to forgo the milk and sugar this time, taking a sip.

Jack moved to the chair adjacent to him, reaching for his own mug. “What I want is for you to not give up on yourself. On your future.”

Ianto looked up at him. “How is giving this child up for adoption giving up on my future?”

“A marriage, a family, a normal life,” Jack said, shrugging. He took a sip of his coffee. “I can’t give you all of the security that entails, but by some twist of fate I’ve been able to give you a child. It’s a chance. One neither of us expected to get.”

“I wish I could see it the way you do,” Ianto said, rubbing his stomach.

“So do I, Ianto,” Jack replied, giving him a sad smile. “So do I.”


	16. Chapter 16

His return to work had proven to be stressful, but Ianto had eventually gotten back into the routine. He missed the Hub when he wasn’t there. It was a second home to him. And while he hadn’t wanted to be tethered to it with the shots Owen had been giving him, he also didn’t want to be kept away, either.

As the next couple of months passed, however, it became more and more challenging. At two and a half months his feet started to swell, causing him to need to buy new shoes. Not long after he hit three months his skin broke out into the worst acne he’d ever had. And that was saying a lot, as he thought back to his early teenage years. By four months he had a completely new wardrobe. He still refused to wear anything remotely elastic, unless they were sweats or pajamas. And he would never wear that out of the house.

It was getting to the point where he was seriously beginning to show, and that meant he had to be careful what he wore. Heaven forbid anyone stop him on the street and ask what was wrong with him. Jack kept telling him there wasn’t that big of a change, but Ianto could see it in his face, if nowhere else. He’d always had slightly chubby cheeks, something he’d gotten from his mother, but this was bordering on ridiculous.

As he poured a round of coffees for his teammates, Ianto put more thought into the agencies Jack had told him about. The list was still folded up in his wallet, and even all this time later he’d not made any appointments. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see the places or find out more about how they each operated, but the idea of walking in there while four months pregnant was terrifying. Surely they were professionals. They’d know how to spot a pregnant person with no problem.

In fact, he was going to have to stop going out during the daytime once his stomach grew a little bit more. There was only so long he could pass for a little heavy. At the rate his waistline was expanding he’d undoubtedly be bound to travel at night by the time he was six months. The idea wasn’t very appealing, especially as he normally did the food runs, but he knew it was the only way.

“You gonna stand in there all day, Tea Boy?” Owen groused from behind him.

Ianto turned, giving him an apologetic smile. “Wool gathering. Sorry.” 

He handed the medic his coffee and then loaded up the tray. Deciding to place a new package of Hob Nobs alongside he made his way out of the kitchen, passing out the drinks and biscuits to his friends. Once he was finished, having dropped off the last beverage at a very distracted captain’s desk, he placed the tray and remaining biscuits in the kitchen and then headed down into the vaults.

Their resident Raspotahn, who Owen had finally confirmed was a male, was sitting inside his new cell. It was slightly bigger than the last, as they’d decided Bob wasn’t really to be considered hostile and would need larger accommodations. They couldn’t let him go; he could cause too many problems with his unfortunate gift.

Ianto took a seat on the chair he’d set up outside the alien’s cell. It had become a ritual to take a break by sitting with him, sharing his thoughts or simply watching the creature eat. Since the incident months before there’d been no other signs of aggression, and Ianto truly felt that he hadn’t meant to bite him. Food aggression was one thing, but he was now able to place the alien’s meal inside or take it away without any hostility whatsoever. Ianto felt they were friends, much the same way Myfanwy was a friend.

“Good afternoon, Bob,” he greeted his friend, smiling. “I hope you’re having a good day.”

The creature moved toward the front of the cell and sat down cross-legged in front of him. He’d brought with him his favorite blanket. It was one of two Ianto had brought from home, along with a pillow, in order to give the alien some comfort. He wrapped it around himself, watching Ianto intently.

“I’m feeling a bit better today. Much better than yesterday, in fact. I didn’t miss the morning sickness at all.”

It had started again a week prior, Ianto finding himself attached to the toilet in the mornings, and once or twice throughout the rest of the day. Luckily he’d not been as ill as he had at the beginning of his pregnancy. Apart from some time in the bathroom, he was able to function normally and get his appointed tasks done. Yesterday evening, however, he’d spent a good hour praying to the porcelain gods before the nausea had subsided.

Bob didn’t reply. He never said anything, in fact, and the team believed he simply wasn’t capable of it. But he seemed to be genuinely concerned with Ianto’s wellbeing. Though the others had tried to develop a connection with the alien, only the Welshman and succeeded.

“What’s with you and other species?” Owen had asked, shaking his head. “It’s like they’re bloody drawn to you. Maybe I should run some more tests. See if you’re really human.”

“You’re just jealous,” had been Toshiko’s reply, smiling at Ianto. “He has Bob and Myfanwy and you’re stuck with Janet.”

Owen had scoffed, grumbling something about girls always ganging up on him, and disappeared into his med bay. The others had laughed.

“Don’t forget about Jack,” Gwen had added.

“What about him?” Ianto wanted to know.

“Well he’s an alien, isn’t he?”

Tosh had shaken her head, Ianto rolled his eyes, and Jack emerged from his office saying, “I am NOT an alien!”

Ianto smiled at the memory. “Why do we get along so well, do you think?” he asked his friend. “Is it because I met you first?”

The alien tilted his head, and Ianto took that as confirmation. He’d had time get to know Ianto’s smell while the others had been on their way. Maybe that was all it took for Bob to trust him.

“If you could speak you could help me decide what to get Jack for Christmas.” It was still four weeks before the holiday, but Ianto hadn’t come up with any meaningful gift ideas. “Maybe a watch? No, no you’re right. He has one of those already.”

Shopping for the captain was never easy, unless he was getting him something he already knew the man liked. His shirts, for instance. Replacing Jack’s work clothes was an easy task, as he never wavered on his basic uniform. As long as the shirts were some form of blue – or occasionally a light green – and his trousers were dark blue or black, he was happy. But Ianto couldn’t get the man work clothes as a gift. That would just be…tasteless.

Sighing, Ianto rubbed a hand over his face. “What about a diary? He’s always trying to get a hold of mine. Maybe he needs one of his own.”

If the alien could frown in distaste he was doing it now. His eyes narrowed a bit and a crease appeared in his forehead. He grunted, something Ianto had come to understand as his sign of disapproval.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m completely hopeless when it comes to this.”

That wasn’t entirely true, if he were being honest with himself. Last year he’d bought a lovely pair of boots for Gwen, and a striking sweater for Toshiko. They’d both appeared quite enamored with them, giving him hugs and kisses on the cheek. For Owen he’d purchased a new stethoscope. The doctor had mumbled about already having one, but Ianto had seen his eyes light up when he opened it, and noticed the new one was still in use even now.

Jack, however, was another story. They’d agreed not to buy each other anything fancy, so that they wouldn’t make the others feel too uncomfortable. Their relationship had been about sex and comfort back then, and Ianto was the first to admit it would have been more than a bit awkward. Instead, Ianto had presented Jack with a few CDs of some of his favorite music, and Jack had updated Ianto’s DVD anthology with a couple James Bond specialty collector editions.

While Ianto loved the DVDs, and he knew Jack loved his CDs, they weren’t the kind of personal gifts he would expect those in a relationship to exchange. They were something friends would get for each other. And this year, seeing as their relationship had taken another step, he wanted to get him something special. After all, their teammates were now aware they were together. There was nothing to hide.

“He doesn’t wear any other jewelry,” Ianto stated, licking his lips. “And he certainly doesn’t need fancy chocolates. Not that he wouldn’t love them, but if I can’t eat like that anymore, neither can he.”

He smiled, picturing Jack pouting at the thought that he wouldn’t be getting something fattening and loaded with calories for Christmas. Since Ianto had gained even more weight, he’d even cleaned out his kitchen at home. He’d started checking the nutritional value of everything he purchased for himself, figuring that the baby was better off as well. Just because it was going to another home didn’t mean he couldn’t make sure it was healthy.

“Coffee? No. That wouldn’t be very personal, now would it?”

He sat in quiet contemplation for the next few minutes, the alien watching him silently as he tossed ideas around in his head. Letting out a long sigh Ianto eventually stood up, putting his hands on his hips.

“Well, I’d better get back to work now, hadn’t I?” he asked his friend, shaking his head slowly. “I suppose I’ll have to put more thought into his gift another time. I’ll see you later for your dinner.”

As he walked away, Bob got up from his place on the ground and wandered back to the cot they’d provided him. He curled up on his side and covered himself with his blanket, seemingly content.

“Ianto?” Gwen said softly as he appeared at the base of the stairs.

“Yes Gwen?”

“Do you think we might order in Chinese today? We’ve not had it in a while and I’m absolutely craving Shrimp Fried Rice.”

Ianto smiled, dipping his head in agreement. “That will work for me. Tosh?”

“Hmm?” said the tech, looking up from her work. “Oh, yes. Yes, Chinese would be fine.”

“The usual?” he asked.

“Yes, please.”

Walking over to the medical bay Ianto leaned on the railing. “Owen? Chinese alright?”

“Yeah, fine. You know what I like.”

Ianto made his way up the stairs and around the workstations, tapping lightly on the captain’s doorframe. Jack looked up, pen in hand.

“Hey, Ianto.”

“Hello sir. I was about to call in for some lunch. Will Chinese work for you? Vegetable Beef?”

“Sounds good,” Jack replied, looking back down at his paperwork. His head suddenly snapped back up just as Ianto was turning away. “Oh, and Ianto?”

The Welshman turned back, smiling. “Sir?”

“Can you make sure to get some of those vegetable rolls? And sauce. They’re really good in the sweet and sour sauce.”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”

Jack gave him a genuine smile. “No, I think that’s it.”

“Very well. I’ll just be up in reception until the food arrives.”

“Thanks Ianto.”

He headed out of the Hub and into the tourist office, making the call from his mobile before settling in at his computer to read through some emails. With the end of the year upon them there were more than the run of the mill inquiries and suggestions from UNIT.

As he was finishing up an email to Archie out at Two, while listening to a classic music station on his small radio, an idea hit him for Jack’s gift. They hadn’t been out again, even though they’d said they wanted to try to get more culture into their lives. 

Surfing the internet, Ianto looked for exactly the right gift for his captain. When he came upon the right site, he grinned. It wasn’t a very expensive gift, based on what he was seeing, but he knew it was just personal enough to be perfect, and it would certainly make Jack happy.

He made his purchase quickly, and as he was turning off the computer he heard a knock at the door. “Great timing,” he said to himself, switching off the radio and making his way over to answer the door.

Paying the young man for the food and giving him a hefty tip, Ianto realized he hadn’t been in this good a mood in quite a while. He closed up the office, heading back down to the Hub. And as he set everything up in the boardroom he smiled to himself. Rift willing, he and Jack were going to have a nice Christmas and festive New Years.


	17. Chapter 17

Christmas Eve rolled around sooner than Ianto had expected it too. Yes, he knew the date. It hadn’t exactly changed much since he’d been born. But the team had been so busy the days had flown by.

Ianto stood looking at the tree he’d set up in the Hub. It was quite large, and he’d needed a ladder to reach the top. The girls had come in from a mission and panicked when they saw him up there, begging him to get down. Tosh and Gwen had then finished decorating the top so Ianto wouldn’t have to.

It was sweet how much they looked after him now that he was pregnant. He supposed it was motherly instinct. Owen and Jack certainly didn’t seem to have the same worries as the girls did. But then, they probably wouldn’t worry about a pregnant woman as much as another woman would, either.

Sighing as he realized he needed to use the restroom for the third time that morning, Ianto put down the last of the presents he’d brought in from home, positioning them under the tree. At five months pregnant Ianto constantly had to go to the bathroom. He dreaded going out anywhere because of it, but he knew he’d have to suffer that indignity just a bit longer. He and Jack had plans for New Years, and he’d be damned if he’d have to cancel them because of the baby.

When he returned to the main Hub he found Jack nosing around the presents. He folded his arms and watched as the Captain picked up one and shook it slightly, a frown forming on his forehead. He then picked up another, giving it the same treatment.

“If you’re naughty you won’t receive any gifts at all,” Ianto said, moving closer.

Jack visibly jumped, sticking a hand behind his back. “Who’s being naughty?”

“What do you have behind your back, sir?” Ianto asked, eyebrow raised.

“Nothing, Ianto.”

“Is that so? Stick out your hand.”

Jack grinned, putting his right hand out in front of him. “See? Nothing.”

“And your other hand?”

Jack pulled the right hand back and then stuck out the left. “Nothing there either.”

Ianto put his hands on his hips. “Both hands at the same time, Captain.”

Jack’s grin faltered, but after a quick shuffle he stuck both hands out in front of him. Ianto’s eyes narrowed and he walked towards the man, starting to move behind him. Jack turned so he was facing Ianto, and as Ianto continued to turn, so did Jack.

Before Jack could react, Ianto reached two arms around the captain’s middle and yanked the present out of the waistband of his trousers. He stepped away and held it up, mouth quirked into a smirk.

“Now where did that come from?” Jack asked, eyes wide.

“Very clever, sir,” Ianto stated, placing the present back where it belonged. “When the others arrive we’ll exchange gifts. Until then, paws off.”

Jack pouted. “You’re absolutely no fun, Ianto Jones.”

“That may very well be, but unless you want to stay here tonight and not sleep with me at the flat, you’ll behave.”

Jack seemed to be contemplating how best to respond to that. Luckily for him, thought Ianto, he said, “Well, that would be a terrible way to spend Christmas. I’ll behave. Promise.”

“Good.” Ianto gave the man a chaste kiss on the lips. “The others should be here soon.”

Sure enough, the alarms blared and Toshiko made her way into the Hub. She was carrying her purse as well as a shopping bag full of what had to be presents. She smiled at them as she came closer.

“It smells so good in here,” she said. “Is that cinnamon?”

Ianto smiled. “Yes. Tesco had an assortment of pine cone decorations. I thought they smelled brilliant.”

“Almost like fresh baked cinnamon apple pie,” she replied, stopping in front of the tree. She added the gifts in her bag to the assortment beneath the large tree and then straightened. “Jack? Have you been shaking gifts again?”

The captain’s eyes went wide. “Who, me?”

Tosh smacked his arm and shook her head. “One day there’s going to be something fragile that hasn’t been wrapped properly and you’re going to break it.”

“Nah,” he argued, winking. “I’m much too careful for that.”

“How are you feeling this morning, Ianto?” she asked, nodding towards his stomach.

“Pretty good, actually,” he replied, rubbing his stomach without thinking about it. “I think Owen wants to run some more blood work this afternoon, before he goes.”

Jack had decided the team would take a holiday this year, and the idea was met with varying levels of enthusiasm. Owen and Gwen would take a few days off for Christmas and Boxing Day, and Toshiko, Jack, and Ianto would take a few days off for New Years. 

Owen had insisted he had nowhere to go, but was more than willing to get smashed with his university chums. Gwen would hear nothing of it and insisted he come home with her to have Christmas with Rhys and her family. He’d grumbled about it at first but when she’d confirmed there’d be plenty of booze he’d agreed.

Toshiko had plans to visit her family, and it was understood she would likely be gone a full week. No one begrudged her the time off as she rarely got away from a computer, much less had a chance to see her relatives. While a few still lived in the UK, the majority were back in Japan.

When given the choice between spending Christmas with his sister’s family and spending a few precious nights with Jack, Ianto had chosen the captain. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his family. He loved them, he did. But he’d have no way to hide his pregnancy from them. With strangers he could still get away with being overweight. With his sister, however, there would be hugs and then there’d be questions. Even Jack had agreed it was best he not see them until after the baby was born.

Instead, Ianto had arranged a lovely dinner to be catered for his family, so his sister wouldn’t have to cook. Their presents would be delivered on Christmas morning. Rhiannon had argued with him about having to work over the holidays, and as was usually the case when they fought, she grew so frustrated with him she started using guilt to reel him in.

“They work you much too hard, Ianto,” she’d told him, irritation evident in the tone of her voice. “You’re never here for the important things anymore. If Mam were alive…”

“If Mam were alive things would have likely turned out very differently, yes.”

“She wouldn’t want this for you, you know,” she continued. “She would have wanted you home with the family for Christmas.”

“I know, Rhi, I know.”

“And your little niece and nephew…well they barely know who you are anymore.”

Ianto had rubbed his face, sighing. “I’m sure you show them plenty of pictures.”

Rhiannon had huffed indignantly. “I shouldn’t have to, Ianto! Why can’t you just stand up to your boss? Tell him your sister demands he let you come see her and the kids for the holidays. Surely you put in enough time to ask for some of it off?”

“Look, I’m sorry, Rhiannon. It’s a very busy time of year.”

“You’re a civil servant! That doesn’t even make sense!”

Ianto had made excuses to end the conversation and not long after his sister had hung up angrily. He hated lying to her, but it was par for the course where Torchwood was concerned. There wasn’t anything he could do to make the situation change so he’d tried his best to make it better. He knew his sister would eventually forgive him.

The cog door rolled open again and Owen and Gwen came through, chatting amicably. Or what passed for amicably where the acerbic doctor was concerned. They made a beeline for the tree and dropped off their presents, begging Ianto for a cup of coffee.

The Welshman graciously nodded and headed up to the kitchen, preparing drinks for the team. When they were done he delivered them to the others with the pastries he’d picked up on his way in that morning.

“So who wants to open a gift first?” asked Jack, clapping his hands together.

“Oh really, Jack,” said Gwen, giving him a patronizing look. “We all know what happens if you don’t get to go first.”

“What?” Jack asked, pouting again.

“That,” said Tosh, giggling. “Go on, Jack. Pick out one of yours.”

They all took seats around the main Hub, Ianto doing so very carefully. Since he could no longer wear his suits he didn’t mind taking a seat on the steps, however sitting close to the floor was awkward at best.

The captain made his way back to the tree and bent down, making a great show of looking for something with his name on it. Ianto and Owen shared a look before Jack stood back up, holding a present up.

“Got one,” he said, smiling. “It’s from Owen.” Ripping into the wrapping foil Jack made quick work of the gift, pulling out a pair of leather gloves. “Wow, Owen, these are nice.”

Owen shrugged, sipping his coffee. “Thought they were just flashy enough for you, Harkness.”

There were a few snorts and then Jack pointed to Toshiko. “You’re up, Miss Sato.”

By the time they’d gotten to Ianto’s gift from Jack, he’d already received a lovely gray scarf from Toshiko, a pair of gloves similar to Jack’s from Owen, and a couple of gourmet bags of coffee beans from Gwen. He held up Jack’s gift and saw the captain smile.

“Open it,” Jack encouraged.

Carefully removing the wrapping paper, Ianto found a small, square box. Opening it up, Ianto’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God!”

“What is it, Tea Boy?”

Ianto placed the box on the steps, setting the gift itself in his palm. There were two gorgeous cufflinks, and by the looks of them they were white gold. “Are these sapphires?” he asked, stroking one carefully.

“The sales lady assured me they’re genuine,” Jack replied. “Do you like them?”

“I do, but…”

Jack’s face fell. “But?”

Ianto looked up at him, worry creasing his brow. “Jack, these are far too extravagant. I can’t…” He looked back down at the cufflinks and felt his chest tighten. He’d never received such an expensive and thoughtful gift.

Jack knelt at his side, placing a hand on his knee. “You deserve them, Ianto. I want you to have them.”

“They’re absolutely gorgeous,” Gwen breathed. She then looked down at the bracelet Jack had bought for her. “Jack, these stones, they’re not really…”

“Emeralds? Yes.”

Gwen’s eyes grew larger. “And Tosh’s necklace?”

“Real as well.”

Toshiko fingered the ruby pendant hanging from her neck. “Jack, you’re kidding. The gifts we got for you…they don’t even come close to what you’ve given us!”

Owen held up his wrist, adorned with a diamond-encrusted watch. “I’m not giving this back.”

“Alright now, calm down,” said Jack, getting to his feet and holding up his hands. “I wanted to get you all something really nice this year, but I didn’t break the bank. You know I have a lot of money I haven’t touched over the years.”

“But Jack,” argued Gwen, shaking her head.

“‘But Jack’ nothing,” said the captain, smiling. “If it makes you feel any better I got a really good discount.”

Ianto eyed the last package under the tree, knowing what it contained. His gift for Jack now seemed both miniscule and thoughtless. He wasn’t sure now that he wanted to give it to him.

“Only one left,” Jack said, as if reading his thoughts.

Ianto wanted to stop him from going to the tree, but any excuse he made would be childish and ultimately useless. Keeping Jack from a present was like keeping the man from coffee. He’d find a way, and wouldn’t be above pouting.

When Jack picked up the package Ianto cleared his throat. “It’s not…anything fancy,” he said, licking his lips. 

“Whatever it is I’m sure I’ll love it,” Jack replied, pulling the ribbon loose. The box opened and a grin lit up the man’s face. “The Glenn Miller Orchestra! Ianto, this is the perfect gift!”

Ianto frowned, not sure whether or not Jack was being serious. He saw Owen disappear down to his med bay, and scooted far enough over for the girls to make their way up to the workstations. Jack took a seat beside him once they were alone.

“What’s wrong, Ianto?”

“I’m not sure my gift comes anywhere close to what you’ve given me, sir.”

Jack frowned, taking Ianto’s hand. It still held the cufflinks. “Ianto, you know how much I love Glenn Miller. And you remembered that I mentioned the Orchestra when we were out at the museum. That’s worth a lot more than some jewelry.”

Ianto swallowed the lump in his throat. “I won’t be able to wear these for quite some time.”

“I know. But they’re going to look fantastic once you can.”

“So, who will you be taking to the concert?” Ianto asked, looking at the ground beneath his feet.

Jack nudged his shoulder. “I do hope you had yourself in mind.”

Ianto met his eyes, feeling a smile tug at his lips. “Perhaps.”

Jack’s grin returned. “Good. Then we’ll get place to stay out in Birmingham for the weekend and make it our vacation. Sound good?”

Ianto nodded, letting the other man think it was all his idea. In fact, that had been his plan all along. He was just glad the captain was happy with his gift. He placed the cufflinks back in their box and then carefully got to his feet.

“I should put these somewhere safe for now,” he said. 

Jack smiled, standing up and dusting himself off. He closed the box holding his tickets and waved them at Ianto. “I really do love the gift, Ianto. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, sir.”

Jack pressed a kiss to his temple and then winked, trotting up the stairs towards his office. Ianto headed up to reception to put his cufflinks with his other things, and then headed back down to use the toilet yet again.


	18. Chapter 18

Ianto truly wished their holiday had gone according to plan. All he’d wanted was to share a night of music with his captain, maybe a nice dinner or a walk under the stars, and spend some time away from Torchwood. He really didn’t feel that was too much to ask. But since they were now standing face to face with his sister and her husband, he knew his plans had gone vastly awry.

“Ianto? What are you doing here?” she asked him, hands on her hips. “Didn’t you say you had to work through the holidays?”

Ianto’s eyes were wide and he turned to Jack. Jack gave him a soft smile and Ianto swallowed, looking back at his sister. Okay, so apparently she was going to meet the captain a fair bit sooner than he’d expected. Which, if he were being honest, had been closer to never.

“Actually, we’re working right now,” he said, smiling.

“At the orchestra?” asked Johnny, scowling.

“He means we’re working here in Birmingham,” Jack corrected, holding out his hand. “Captain Jack Harkness, Ianto’s boss.”

Johnny eyed the hand for a moment before shaking it. “You normally go to the orchestra with your employees, do you?”

Ianto could feel his heart racing. Not only was he pregnant and trying to hide it under his clothing, but he was on a date with his boss. His very male boss. And he’d lied about his whereabouts this season. His sister was much too sharp to fall for it once all the pieces came together.

Jack shrugged. “We’re out to get a breath of fresh air. We work tedious hours.”

“Dressed like that?” Rhiannon nodded at Jack’s three piece suit and Ianto’s trousers, jumper, and suit jacket combo. “Just out to catch some air? You didn’t come here to see the Glenn Miller Orchestra?”

They were standing on the sidewalk in front of the venue, ready to head to the car and get back to their hotel when they’d run into the couple coming out from the show. Sure, it looked mighty conspicuous, he had to admit, but Ianto was thrifty. He could get them out of this.

“We just got out of a dinner meeting,” he explained, sighing. “Sir, this is my sister Rhiannon and her husband Johnny. I apologize for the third degree treatment.”

“It’s not a problem,” the captain replied, still smiling. “Did you want to catch up? If so, I can catch a taxi back to the hotel.”

“Oh don’t be silly, Captain,” Rhiannon said, returning his smile. “Why don’t we all go for drinks?”

Ianto groaned internally. “I would love to,” he said, “I really would, however we’ll be heading back to Cardiff in the morning and…”

“And if you can have a dinner meeting on a Saturday, surely you can spare some of your weekend with your family as well, Ianto?”

His sister’s cheeks had colored and Ianto knew she was very close to blowing up. He knew what she was like when pushed too far. It was usually why he chose to deal with her over the phone. He’d never been able to handle and angry woman, and especially not his sister.

“Of course,” he replied, straightening his jacket. The sooner he got this over with the better. “Why don’t we stop in at the pub at the corner?”

“Sounds good,” said Johnny, nodding.

When they were seated at a table near the back, Jack offered to get the first round. Ianto had, of course, opted for water, as had Jack, and he brought back a glass of wine for Rhiannon and a lager for Johnny.

“Are neither of you drinking, then?” asked the other Welshman, looking between Ianto and the captain.

“We had drinks at dinner,” Jack told them, winking. “Wouldn’t want to get out of control.”

Rhiannon sipped her drink, eyeing Ianto. “Have you been eating a bit, love?” she asked.

“Pardon?” Ianto replied, although he knew exactly what she meant.

“You’re looking a bit plump there, mate,” said Johnny, grinning. “Must be seeing a girl, then. Fattening you up, she is.”

“Is that true, Ianto?” Rhiannon’s face lit up. “Are you seeing a new girl? It’s been quite some time since Lisa, after all, the poor dear. Is it serious with this one? Why don’t you bring her around to meet the family?” 

“That would actually require him to come see us himself,” Johnny replied, laughing.

Ianto took a deep breath, his head hurting. “No, I’m not seeing a new girl,” he told them, safe in the knowledge that at least this time he was not actually lying.

“Well that’s a shame, Ianto,” Rhiannon said, frowning. “You know, there’s a lovely new girl who moved in just down the road from my friend Penny. She’s a single mother of a beautiful little girl. Her husband passed away a year ago. Very tragic. Maybe you’d like her number?”

“Thank you, but no,” he replied, taking a drink of his water.

“Love, you can’t stay single forever.”

“He might have to,” said Johnny. “He’s not getting any younger. And I’m sorry, mate, but you are quite a bit wider around the middle these days. Office work just isn’t suiting you.”

“Alright,” said Jack, holding up his hand. “I think that’s quite enough.”

“It’s okay, sir,” said Ianto, not wanting a war to break out at the table.

“No it’s not,” said Jack, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t have to sit here and listen to this.”

“I’m sorry, what?” said Johnny. “Ianto, who is this guy? Listen mate, Ianto here is family...”

“I’m well aware,” replied the captain, folding his arms, “which is exactly why I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”

Ianto rubbed a hand over his face. “I think we should be going.”

“Ianto! You just got here!”

“I’m sorry, Rhi, I am. But we’ve a long drive back in the morning, as I said. And I’m afraid I’m not feeling very well.”

“It’s always an excuse with him, it is,” mumbled Johnny, taking a long swing of lager.

Ianto ignored the barb and got to his feet, Jack doing the same beside him. “Please tell the kids I said hello, and that I hope they liked their Christmas presents.”

“You should tell them yourself,” she replied, huffing.

“Another time,” he said, turning to follow Jack out of the pub.

When they were outside once again, Ianto sighed. He hated fighting with his family. He loved them, but it wasn’t easy when his sister constantly wanted to mother him and his brother-in-law was obnoxious at best. If it wasn’t for his niece and nephew he doubted he’d make time for his family at all. And he knew he saw them far less than he should, but figured it was probably for the best. The less he was around them the safer they would be from Torchwood and its fallout.

“Are you okay, Ianto?” Jack asked.

“Yes, thank you.”

“I’m sorry for what happened in there.”

Ianto shook his head. “It’s not your fault, sir.”

“No, but you shouldn’t have to put up with that from family. Or from anyone, for that matter.”

“I’m afraid I’m rather used to it by now.”

Jack put a hand on his shoulder as they walked to the car park. “How’s your head?”

Ianto’s eyebrow went up. “How did you know my head was hurting?”

Jack smiled. “I know you better than you think I do.”

“It’s hurting, but nothing I can’t handle, sir.”

When they arrived back at their hotel room Ianto took off his jacket, hanging it in the closet. He knew he should probably pack, but they did have the morning to do so. He hadn’t been completely honest with his sister about their departure. While it was true they were driving back to Cardiff tomorrow, they weren’t leaving until noon. They were planning on having a nice breakfast and relaxing for a few hours before going home.

As he made his way to the bathroom to freshen up, he heard Jack shuffling around in the bedroom. Ianto washed his face, ran a hand through his hair, and then turned around. He found Jack standing at the doorway with a glass of water in one hand and some pills in the other.

“Paracetamol,” the captain explained with a smile.

Ianto took the proffered medication from him and swallowed it down with the water. He handed the glass back to Jack. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Come here.”

Ianto followed him into the bedroom where Jack set the water glass on the table. When he stood uncertainly, however, awaiting whatever it was Jack had in mind, the captain stepped closer and began to remove Ianto’s sweater.

“Sir? I’m not sure I’m feeling quite well enough for this.”

Jack chuckled. “You need to be comfortable so I can give you a massage.”

“Oh,” Ianto replied. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.” Ianto let Jack help him off with his clothes, until he was wearing just his underwear. The captain then led him to the bed and had him sit down. “Can you lie on your stomach or would you rather just stay sitting?”

“I think I can manage,” Ianto replied. Jack was aware it was getting harder and harder for Ianto to sleep on his stomach due to the baby. Short term shouldn’t cause him as many problems, however.

He moved onto his stomach and yawned, not realizing he was tired until that exact moment. Jack sat on the bed beside him, placing a hand on his back. The captain had already removed his own Jacket, but nothing else. Ianto felt naked by comparison.

As the man’s hands began working his shoulders, however, his lack of dress faded completely from his mind. He moaned softly, feeling the knots in his back protest at the deep and firm pressure being applied.

“No wonder you have a headache,” the captain said, pressing his thumbs into a particularly hard knot, “you’re so tense.”

“It’s a family thing,” Ianto replied.

“Are they always like that?”

Ianto shrugged as best he could in that position. “Unfortunately yes. Rhiannon’s not so bad, but Johnny…well, he doesn’t understand tact.”

“Apparently not.”

Jack’s hands were working magic on his back, and Ianto could already feel the headache beginning to ease away. If only it could erase the mental anguish as well. He knew he shouldn’t let his family get to him, but was also well aware if he’d just come by more often there wouldn’t be as much for them to fight about. On the other hand, tonight was a reminder that he couldn’t share his life with them. Not the way normal families could share. He couldn’t tell them what he did for a living, he couldn’t tell them about the real relationship between himself and Jack, and he certainly could never tell them about the baby.

“I think we should speak to a few more agencies when we get back,” he said, shifting slightly on the bed to accommodate his stomach.

Jack’s hands paused for a moment before continuing their path to his lower back. “If that’s what you want.”

“Although you might have to speak to them alone, the way things are going,” he added.

“You don’t want to go?” 

“I do, but if my sister and her husband reacted to how large I’ve gotten, I can’t say I’m thrilled at the prospect of meeting with more people.”

Jack pressed his thumbs into the small of Ianto’s Back. “Strangers will have no idea what you looked like before, Ianto. They’ve nothing to compare it to.”

“I realize that,” Ianto replied, “I just feel…awkward.”

“Well I can go on your behalf if that’s what you want,” Jack agreed. “I just wanted you to be able to make an educated choice.”

“I trust you, sir.”

Jack kissed his shoulder. “I’m glad. Now how are you feeling?”

“Much better, thank you.”

Jack began rubbing gentle circles over his back, never staying in one spot long enough to add too much pressure. Ianto sighed into his pillow, enjoying the caress. In fact, he was enjoying it a little too much and had to shift again to get into a better position.

“You alright?”

“Yes sir,” Ianto replied. “That feels good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yup.”

Jack chuckled, sliding his fingertips down Ianto’s sides. It was the one spot the Welshman was extremely ticklish, and he struggled not to squirm. The fingers moved on, however, trailing down his legs as Jack changed positions on the bed.

When Jack’s hands reached his calves he began pressing harder again, a groan escaping Ianto’s mouth. He felt the captain’s thumbs dig into the knots in his legs, loosening the tension Ianto had been carrying there.

“How did you get so good at this?” he asked, his voice muffled by the pillow.

“Years of practice,” Jack replied. “Years and years of practice.”

“Were you taught?”

“You could say that. No one actually sat me down to teach me the finer points of massage, but I picked up a lot over the years.”

“Let me guess,” Ianto said, “you had a boyfriend who was a masseuse.”

“Close,” the captain said, beginning to rub Ianto’s feet. “Girlfriend’s mother.”

Ianto would have rolled his eyes if they weren’t closed. “Why am I not surprised? And did your girlfriend know you were learning from her mother?”

“Of course!” Jack sounded offended. “We were all together.”

Ianto’s eyes opened. “You, your girlfriend, and her mother…”

“That’s right.”

“That’s disgusting, sir.”

“Not on that planet,” Jack defended. “Not only was it not frowned upon, it was highly encouraged.”

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Nope, honest. In their culture bloodlines were highly valued. It was quite common to see brothers in relationships with sisters, mothers with sons, and so on.”

“Incestuous relationships,” Ianto stated. “I’m sorry, sir, but that’s just…”

“I know,” Jack interrupted him, lying down and sliding an arm over his back, “you’ve said. Disgusting. But different cultures have different rules and mores.”

Ianto slowly rolled onto his side, then onto his back. Jack’s hand was now resting on his stomach. “And you don’t think I should judge their culture based on my own.”

Jack shrugged, propping himself up on his elbow as he stroked Ianto’s stomach. “I always try not to. There are just too many people out there being judgmental. Everyone has a right to believe what they want to believe.”

“I suppose so,” Ianto agreed. He laced his fingers through Jack’s. “Thank you for the massage. I think I might try to get some sleep.”

Jack smiled before kissing him softly. “Alright.”

Jack moved off the bed and began undressing while Ianto slid underneath the covers. When the captain was down to nothing but his underwear he headed into the bathroom, where Ianto could hear the water running.

The night hadn’t been bad, up until they’d run into his family. In fact, dinner had been lovely and he’d surprised himself by truly enjoying the concert. Jack had been in his element, lost in the music, and Ianto had loved seeing him so relaxed. He only wished they had the opportunity to get away more often.

Looking down at his swollen stomach he frowned. They wouldn’t be doing anything like this again for at least several months. Not until this baby was out and he could get back to being himself again. He probably would have saved himself a whole lot of discomfort and burden if he’d simply opted for the abortion. Unfortunately for him his conscience just wouldn’t let him consider it.

Jack returned to the bedroom and smiled at him. “Ready for lights out?”

Ianto wrinkled his nose. “You sound like my mam.”

Jack’s smile got wider. “Mine too.”

He flipped the light switch and climbed into the bed beside Ianto, tugging the covers up and over them both. He scooted closer until he could put his arm around Ianto once more.

“Comfy,” he asked?

“Yes, Jack. Goodnight.”

After a quick kiss, Jack replied, “Goodnight, Ianto.”


	19. Chapter 19

Ianto was feeling every one of his seven months of pregnancy. There was no longer a chance that his waddle could be mistaken for anything else, and he was definitely showing. Gwen and Toshiko were constantly asking to feel the baby kick, and Ianto, being polite and ever-suffering, endured their attention.

He couldn’t deny that watching the baby’s fist or heel slide across his stomach wasn’t endearing. In fact, he’d quite often made a game of trying to catch it as it moved. Once, he’d been found out by Jack, who was watching him from the doorway to his bedroom. Ianto had sworn him to secrecy and they never spoke of it again. That didn’t mean that he was safe from the captain’s knowing looks every time the Welshman put his hand on his stomach.

He hadn’t run into his sister again. But then, he’d put himself on a strict travel limit. He didn’t go anywhere besides the Hub and his flat. It was disappointing, knowing that even if the rift decided to be quiet for a few days he and Jack could no longer sneak away, however he didn’t want to be seen. It was far too obvious he was pregnant, and they just didn’t need that kind of drama. Retcon was a necessity, not a convenience.

At his request, Jack had stopped by three more agencies on his behalf. He’d given them all a thumbs up, but one in particular had stood out in his mind as it came highly recommended by many sites the captain had researched. The staff was helpful and friendly, their successful adoption rate was high, and they had quite a few families looking to adopt. The fees weren’t particularly low, but that wasn’t something Ianto really minded. He had enough money for the private adoption.

He hadn’t been aware he’d have a choice of applicants. While they would believe he was Ionwen Jones, a fair skinned, dark haired, blue-eyed Welshwoman struggling through university, he would be able to make a decision based off of questionnaires all the parents had filled out. They’d be provided more information on his/her background if they chose to agree to the match. Ianto wasn’t sure who the girl in the picture would be, but he knew Jack and Tosh would work that out.

He thought he’d already chosen the ideal family. He was a professor at Cardiff University and she worked at a day nursery. They were both born and raised in southern Wales, and came from long-standing Welsh families. They’d been trying for a child for several years with no success, and had been on the list as potential adoptees for at least two. They seemed perfect, which was why he was going to have Jack tell the agency his choice as soon as possible.

He hoped the family liked his profile. While it felt strange being so dishonest, he knew there was no possible way it could be done any differently. The couple would get a healthy, Welsh baby, regardless of it not actually having a mother. While he supposed the Raspotahn could have changed his DNA in some way in order to make the pregnancy possible, he was sure he was still a male. Pretty sure, anyway.

What he needed to do now was make the decision whether or not to find out the sex of the baby. The couple he had chosen didn’t have a preference listed, so he knew he could potentially go the next couple of months without knowing and it wouldn’t affect the adoption in the least. There was a lottery of sorts going on at work and they had all insisted they knew it was a little girl. Ianto felt sure that Owen would have explained the fact that women carried the chromosome for that, yet he didn’t. It only made Ianto question his body chemistry all that much more.

It wasn’t that he had a preference himself. He didn’t. And he wasn’t going to be keeping it, so it wasn’t as though he needed to know to decorate a nursery or pick out clothing and matching shoes. He was concerned, however, that if he found out the sex of the child he was carrying it would make it seem more real. He didn’t need any more reality than what he was currently experiencing. He couldn’t deny there was a child in his stomach, and he was going to have to deliver this baby, but he didn’t need to refer to it as he or she.

Ianto had tried to keep that to himself, but somehow Jack had managed to get him to talk about it. It was an awkward conversation, as he still knew how much Jack wished he’d keep the baby. But how could he? He wasn’t ready to be a father, abuse ran in his family, and Torchwood was no place to raise a child. He’d be dooming the kid to a life he himself had gone through, with the added bonus of death-by-hostile-aliens tacked on for good measure.

No, this child deserved the right to grow up safe and sound, in a family that had planned for it and wanted it with all it had. To be cared for by two parents, who undoubtedly had extended family going back a couple generations. He wanted it to have a real future, and not be bound by the same fate that bound everyone working for Torchwood. If his child were lucky, it would live a long, normal life, and be loved. It was only right.

There was also a part of Ianto whose voice he didn’t often acknowledge. That was the part of him that said he’d probably make a good father. The part that wanted the challenge of raising a child, and that thought having one with Jack might be as close as he’d ever get to normal. But he didn’t want to hear that. Life with Jack was good just the way it was. Who needed normal?

The simple truth of the matter was that even without the family background issues, and the risk of Torchwood to the child itself, there was the fact that he was more than likely going to die in the next few years. It was pretty certain, if statistics were anything to go by. Why keep a child only to leave it shortly thereafter? That was cruel, and no matter what Jack said, he couldn’t possibly want to saddle himself with a toddler after Ianto was gone. Jack, be a single parent? What did he know about being a father?

He sighed as he went through the paperwork sitting on his desk in the archives. He’d been down there for hours, but there was no reason not to be. The team had started ordering their coffees elsewhere, and someone else always got the lunch order. He wasn’t even allowed to feed their guests anymore as Owen felt being around their waste could potentially harm the baby.

He scribbled Jack’s signature on a form and moved on to the next one, rubbing a hand over his face. He was tired. Beyond tired. In fact, he hadn’t been sleeping well at all lately. Not only could he not sleep on his stomach, but his sides were off limits now too, leaving only his back. It took him ages to fall asleep on his back. Some nights he was lucky to catch any sleep at all. Last night had been one of those nights.

He’d all but eliminated any form of caffeine from his diet, even though Owen had said cutting himself off completely wasn’t necessary. He wanted the baby to have a healthy body, and dousing it with caffeine was not part of that plan. Unfortunately that meant that while he didn’t have coffee, he also avoided all chocolate, soda, ice cream, and even gum. He’d been shocked to find out how many of his favorite products contained the drug.

This led to him having far more headaches than he’d normally ever suffer. He didn’t want to overdo the Paracetamol either, and would mostly suffer through the pain on his own. Today, combined with his lack of energy and sleep deprivation, he was feeling extremely rough. 

When his stomach rolled, he really wasn’t surprised. What he didn’t expect, however, was the addition of cramps, both in his stomach and his back. Ianto braced himself on the desk, taking deep breaths and trying to remain calm. The pain was getting worse, and while he didn’t know if it was as serious as early on in his pregnancy he activated his earpiece.

“Jack? Owen?”

“Hey, Ianto,” Jack replied, a smile in his voice. “Did you miss me?”

“Here, Tea Boy. What’s up?”

“I’m having pains again,” he explained, getting up from his desk when it seemed to subside. “I’m coming up.”

“Do you need help?” the captain asked, smile no longer evident.

“No, I think I can make it.”

He made his way out of the archives and up into the main Hub, still breathing evenly despite the pain not having reemerged. He still didn’t feel right, and was beginning to think something was very wrong. He was met by Owen and Jack on the way to the medical bay.

It was while he was getting situated on the table that the pain hit again, this time doubling him over. Owen gave instructions for Jack to hold him down as best he could, so the doctor would be able to check him over. It took several deep, long breaths before the pain slid away enough for Ianto to relax back onto the table.

Owen was listening to his heart beat as he took his blood pressure. He then pulled Ianto’s jumped up and palpated his stomach. Ianto’s face screwed up in pain.

“He’s in labor,” the medic concluded.

“What? It’s too soon!” Jack insisted.

“Not according to this baby. Ianto, I want you to relax as much as possible, alright?”

Ianto nodded, trying to concentrate on his breathing. He briefly wondered if he shouldn’t have ordered some DVDs on Lamaze breathing. But since he wasn’t going to be delivering this baby the natural way – and wasn’t he thankful for that? – he hadn’t seen a reason to.

Owen stepped closer with a long needle in his hand. “I’m going to administer something that’s going to hopefully stop your labor from continuing.”

Ianto swallowed. “Can it hurt the baby?”

“What’s going to hurt the baby is being born before it’s fully developed,” Owen replied. “At this gestation, Ianto, there’s not a very good chance for survival.”

“And how long can we hold off his labor?” Jack asked, gripping Ianto’s hand in his and not even flinching when Ianto squeezed it.

“Hopefully for at least a few weeks, getting the baby into safer territory. But it’s not a certainty.”

“So I could s-still have this baby t-too soon?” Ianto asked, speaking through yet another contraction.

“Once a body goes into premature labor it’s not unusual, no. Now hold still.”

Ianto did as best he could, breathing through his nose and feeling like he was going to hyperventilate. The captain stayed by his side, silent in his support. Ianto clung to his hand like a lifeline.

After about thirty minutes, the pain and contractions had subsided significantly. There were still flutters, but nothing near as painful as what he’d previously experienced. He hoped that was a good sign.

“So what now, Owen?” Jack asked, wiping Ianto’s forehead with a damp flannel the medic had provided.

“Now, I’m afraid he’s on bed rest,” Owen replied, sighing. “As soon as he’s feeling better he needs to be taken home and kept off his feet. No arguments, and no cheating. This time it’s extremely serious.”

“I understand, Owen,” Ianto said through drooping eyelids. “I was good before, just ask Jack.”

“I’m sure you were, but frankly, Ianto, you should be in hospital under observation. Since we can’t do that you’re going to need twenty-four hour care at home, and I’ll be on call.” Owen shot the captain a look. “If it even seems like he’s suffering any kind of discomfort beyond that of someone seven months pregnant, I need you to call me. Any time of night.”

“Got it,” the captain agreed.

It was a few hours later before Owen deemed it safe to move Ianto from the Hub to his flat. Jack drove, and Ianto lay down in the back. Owen had made it very clear that the less he was vertical the better, and that meant sitting up as well as standing.

When they got to his home Jack helped Ianto from the car, leading him up to the flat and directly into his bedroom. They didn’t even bother removing anything but his shoes. Normally Ianto would argue, wanting to be as comfortable and practical as possible, but at this point, he just wanted some sleep.

“I’m going to make arrangements with the others to make sure there is always someone here with you,” Jack told him, pushing sweaty hair off of Ianto’s forehead. “I’ll be here as much as I can, but when I can’t someone can take my place.”

“Thank you, sir,” Ianto mumbled, eyes beginning to close. He was so very tired. 

“I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

Ianto smiled before he drifted off to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

The light slipped through the seams of Ianto’s closed eyes and he started to stir, stretching languidly on the bed. He really didn’t want to wake up, a sigh escaping him as he held on desperately to the last vestiges of a wonderful dream. 

He and Jack were running barefoot on a beach, the sun at their backs, and a cool, salty breeze in the air. They came to a stop, tumbling together, laughing and wrestling playfully as they fell to the sand. Jack kissed him softly and he tasted of…mouthwash. Mouthwash?

Ianto cracked his eyes open, wincing at the sunlight pouring in through the window and then focusing on the face a mere breath away from his. Jack was smiling at him, and leaned in for another kiss.

Ianto accepted it, closing his eyes once more and wrapping his arms around the other man. The kiss deepened, and Ianto was suddenly all too aware that while Jack had obviously brushed his teeth and freshened up, he had not.

He broke the kiss, wrinkling his nose. “I must have morning breath.”

“Mmm, I didn’t even notice,” Jack murmured, kissing Ianto once more before pulling out of his embrace. “How are you feeling? Seemed like a good dream, hmm?”

Ianto blushed. “I was nice, yes. How did you know?”

“You were laughing and talking in your sleep.”

“I was?” he asked, horrified. “Do I normally do that?”

Jack chuckled. “Don’t worry; you didn’t give away any monumental secrets.”

“Then what did I say?”

“Well, you mumbled something about it being a nice day for a swim, and then a couple minutes later you were grinning and moaning.”

Ianto’s blush deepened. “We were at the beach.”

“Yeah?” said Jack, lying down beside him and rubbing his stomach.

“Yup. And it was a nice day for a swim. Warm, with a breeze.”

“We don’t get enough of those around here,” Jack acknowledged. “So, did we go swimming?”

“I can’t remember,” Ianto replied, thoughtfully. “I just remember running on the beach, and you kissing me.”

“You don’t need to dream for that.”

Ianto turned his head to look at him. “I won’t be doing any running for a while.”

Jack gave him a pitying look. “Not for a little while, no. But afterward, we can find a beach and make a day of it. Get out of town for a little while.”

“We have beaches here,” Ianto reminded him.

“Yeah, but the really nice ones are further up the coast. Or maybe we can even get out of the UK altogether. I hear the Dalmatian Coast is lovely.”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “Croatia?”

“Sure, why not?” Jack asked, slipping his hand under Ianto’s sweater and t-shirt. “Lots of hot girls in bikinis, and muscled, bronze men strutting their stuff.”

Ianto gave a derisive snort. “And one overweight, pale, postnatal Welshman at your side.”

Jack’s hand moved from out from under Ianto’s shirt, cupping his face instead. “I happen to think you look wonderful, Ianto Jones.

“Yes, well, you’re just saying that so I won’t be jealous of your women in bikinis and bronzed men.”

Jack shook his head. “I’m saying it because it’s true. And you’re not overweight, Ianto, you’re pregnant.”

“I did say postnatal,” he reminded him. “Once the baby is born it’s going to take me some time to get back in shape.”

“That’s only natural, Ianto.”

“There is nothing natural about a man having a baby!” Ianto snapped, pulling away from Jack and wishing he could storm out of the room. At this point looking away would have to do.

Jack put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey.”

He shrugged the hand off, scowling at the clock on his bedside. It said it was just after eight. Fantastic. Only fourteen or so hours before he could look forward to going back to sleep.

“Ianto,” Jack pleaded, this time not touching him. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make light of this situation. I know it’s difficult for you.”

“You have no idea,” Ianto muttered, letting out a loud sigh.

“Actually, I do.”

Ianto waited a moment for Jack to continue, but when he didn’t, he said, “And how exactly do you know what it’s like for me?”

“For you? I don’t,” replied Jack. “But I know what it was like for me.”

Ianto turned his head back to face the captain. Jack had hinted at being pregnant before, but he and the team had just assumed it was more of Jack’s tall tales for attention’s sake. “Go on.”

Jack covered Ianto’s hand with his own, weaving their fingers together. “I was nineteen the first time it happened,” he explained. “It was just after I’d joined up with the Time Agency. I’d fallen hard for one of my instructors, and he seemed to care about me just as much. Unfortunately I was mistaken. When I told him I was a few months pregnant he made me get rid of it.”

“An abortion,” Ianto guessed.

Jack nodded. “It’s not a very complicated procedure back when I come from, but nonetheless I didn’t want to have it. I wanted the baby.”

Ianto squeezed Jack’s hand. “But he didn’t, obviously.”

“Turns out he was a married man,” Jack continued, a sad smile pulling at his lips. “He already had three children of his own, and his wife was not the sort to approve of an affair.”

“You’re always telling us how different views on sex were then.”

“They were,” Jack agreed, “but that doesn’t mean that everyone wanted to have multiple partners. It just wasn’t frowned upon if that’s what the people involved chose.”

Ianto nodded in understanding. “So what happened after that?”

“I had the abortion. The Time Agency was paying for my room and board while I went through training. I didn’t have my own money, so there was no way I could afford to take care of a baby by myself. After the baby was gone, I tried to rekindle the relationship with my instructor but he no longer wanted anything to do with me. He said I was tainted goods.”

“Oh my God, Jack! What did you do then?”

Jack shrugged. “I went on with my life. I had no choice.”

Ianto swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. “You said the first time. How many more were there?”

“Just one,” Jack replied, stroking his thumb over Ianto’s fingers. “I was still in the Time Agency, but a few years older. This time, I was in a relationship with someone my own age. Devon. He was beautiful, Ianto. And a wonderful man. You would have gotten along well with him.”

“Sounds like everything was good.”

“It was. I got pregnant, and we were both ecstatic. When the baby was born we named him Caden Alexander. He was exquisite, Ianto. And Devon, he was a doting father. Me on the other hand? Well…I had what they call commonly call postpartum depression these days. We had a different name for it, but it’s pretty much the same. I hated being a father. I hated what the baby had done to my body. And worse than that, I hated our baby.”

“Jack…”

The captain shook his head. “It went on for months and I refused to get any help. Eventually, Devon packed up our son and left.”

“He walked out on you?”

“Yes.”

“Did you try to find them?”

A tear slipped down Jack’s face. “By the time I came around enough to get some help, it was too late. Devon and Caden were long gone.” 

Jack moved away from Ianto and pulled himself into a sitting position, wiping at his face. Ianto placed a hand on the small of his back and realized that Jack was trembling, his tears still falling.

“I probably shouldn’t have shared that,” Jack admitted, voice quavering slightly.

“Why not?” Ianto asked, eyes welling up.

“Because now you’re going to think I’m even more of a monster than before.”

Ianto struggled to get up and onto his knees. He slid his hand up to Jack’s shoulder, trying to pull him around. Once the other man was facing him Ianto tugged his hands away from his face. Jack’s eyes were red-rimmed but he was holding back the rest of his tears.

“I do not think you’re a monster, Jack Harkness.”

“But I am.”

“No, you’re not,” insisted Ianto, frowning. “What you went through many, many women here on Earth go through. No, you didn’t get help right away, but Devon should never have left. And he certainly should not have taken your son away from you.”

Jack blinked a couple of times and snuffled. “I wish I could say I blamed him, Ianto, but I can’t. I was a terrible person after the baby was born. I wasn’t a good partner and I was an even worse father.”

Ianto traced a hand over Jack’s cheek. “I think you’re being too hard on yourself. As for Devon and Caden, I have to hope they settled someplace nice, so that your son could grow up safe. But that doesn’t mean he was better off without you. You love him now, don’t you?”

Jack let out a mirthless laugh. “Yeah. I think about him every day. Little good that does me.”

“Thinking about him keeps his memory alive. And who’s to say you’ll never get back to see him? You could run into him again someday. It’s now your future too, and not just your past.”

Jack nodded, kissing Ianto’s forehead. “There was once a point to me telling you all this,” he said, sighing.

“I understand,” Ianto said, settling back down on the bed and gesturing for Jack to do so as well. “And yes, you went through a hell of a lot more than me.”

“I wasn’t trying to lessen your own experiences,” Jack started, face sad. “I just…”

“I know.”

“I just wanted you to know I understand the confusion and the trauma that a pregnancy can cause,” Jack finished. He didn’t lay back down, instead getting off the bed. “Tell you what. Why don’t I make us some breakfast and we can watch movies in bed all day?”

Ianto struggled for a moment with the sudden change of subject. When he recovered, he smiled. “Alright. But I really need the toilet first.”

Jack laughed, and this time it was a bright and cheerful sound. “Let me help you into the bathroom to clean up, get you back in bed, and then I’ll go get things started.”

Ianto nodded, letting the captain assist him off of the bed and into the bathroom. He waited by the doorway while Ianto used the toilet, shaved, and brushed his teeth, then helped him back into bed.

“After breakfast I can run you a bath, if you’d like. I don’t think Owen will want you taking a shower.”

“Sounds familiar,” Ianto said, rolling his eyes. 

Jack smiled. “I figure you’re probably dying to get out of those clothes.”

Looking down at himself Ianto snickered. “Even more than you can imagine.”

“Alright, I’ll be back in a bit. I’ll check in with the others as well.”

Ianto nodded, watching as the other man left the room. His face fell, remembering all that Jack had told him about his two pregnancies. God, he’d been such an idiot, whining about his weight and going on about Jack having no idea how he felt. Granted, this was the first he’d ever heard about what had happened to the captain, but it was enough to really make Ianto think.

Ianto didn’t want to be a father because of what his father and grandfather had done. Yes, there was the Torchwood angle, but that was secondary to Ianto’s doubts about his ability to be a good parent. But Jack had been forced to terminate one pregnancy, had lost his other child to a depression he couldn’t help, had been betrayed by a partner who couldn’t handle seeing him through it, and yet the man was still willing to have another child. 

Ianto knew that if Jack had the opportunity, he would love this child, and would make sure that he or she wasn’t the third casualty in a line of tragedies. It made Ianto’s heart ache when he realized that he was going to take that opportunity away from Jack. That he was going to take his child away.

No, Jack was not the monster. He was.


	21. Chapter 21

Ianto watched from his bed as Toshiko ran a dust cloth over his furniture. She’d been over at least twice a week for the last two months keeping him company and making sure his flat didn’t turn into the disaster area he feared it would become. When she caught his eye she smiled.

“Well that’s that,” she said, dropping the cloth onto the dresser before plopping herself on the end of his bed. “All done.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” he told her, smiling. “There’s no way I could do all that even without being on bed rest.” He pointed at his stomach. It was very much the stomach of someone about to give birth.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Toshiko shook her head. “Ianto, if there’s one thing I know about your cleaning habits, it’s that you would never let something like advanced pregnancy keep you from making everything neat and orderly.”

Ianto nodded, realizing she was right. “Well, thank you anyway for coming over and doing it for me. I don’t think Owen would consider it an acceptable excuse for getting out of bed.”

“Not hardly,” she agreed. “Besides, you want to make sure that baby is healthy and waits as long as can be so she’s fully developed.”

“You’re awfully sure it’s going to be a girl, Tosh. I don’t think that’s even possible.”

She waved her hand, rolling her eyes. “Oh please. Did you or did you not manage to get impregnated by another man?”

“You have a point.”

“Besides, I’m really good at determining these things,” she said, moving to lie on her stomach and prop herself up on her elbows. She rested her chin in her hands. “When my cousin had a baby, she and her husband assumed it would be a girl. I told her it was a boy. Guess who was right?”

“You were,” he assumed.

“Yep. And I was right with all three of my neighbor’s pregnancies. Face it, Ianto, you’re having a girl.”

He chuckled. “Alright, so maybe it is.”

She watched him for a moment in silence, a frown appearing on her forehead. “Ianto?”

“Yes Tosh?” he asked, worried about her frown.

“Have you absolutely made up your mind about the adoption?”

Ianto tensed, looking down at his hands. “Jack’s already spoken with the agency. The family I chose has chosen me. We’re supposed to sign a contract tomorrow.”

Toshiko’s frown deepened. “It seems awfully late to be making those arrangements.”

“We had no choice,” he explained. “Since we weren’t sure if the baby was going to be premature, we didn’t want to chance signing a contract and then having the family back out if there was a problem. This way, everyone can be sure the adoption will go through.”

“If you don’t mind my observation,” she said, “you don’t seem all that thrilled about it.”

“About giving the baby up?” he asked. She nodded at him. “I suppose I’m not. But I know it has to be done.”

Tosh scooted up the bed, coming to sit beside him. “Is there a part of you that wants to keep it?”

Ianto looked up at her, worrying his lower lip. “I guess there is. A small part.”

“No one would fault you if that’s what you decided to do. And I know I can speak for the others when I say that we would all be there to support you.”

Ianto snorted. “And what would I do with a child?” he asked. “My life is Torchwood.”

“And Jack.”

Ianto swallowed past the lump that formed every time he thought about taking this child away from the captain. “I…I can’t burden him with that kind of commitment. He needs to be free to do what he has to do, whenever he has to do it.”

Tosh sighed. “I’m sure you’ve had this discussion with him, right?”

“A form of it, yes.”

“And did he say he doesn’t want to have the baby?”

“No. I’m pretty sure he does.”

“So,” she said, slowly, “you’re doing this in his best interest, even though you’re aware that he wants the child?”

Ianto closed his eyes, resting his head against the headboard. “It’s so much more complicated than that, Tosh.”

“Then talk to me about it, Ianto,” she replied, placing a hand on his arm. “I know it has to have been tough only confiding in Jack. He’s an interested party. While I may not be completely impartial, I am a good sounding board.”

Ianto opened his eyes and looked at her, seeing the honesty and love in her eyes. He took a deep breath and then laid bare his soul. He told her all of his concerns regarding being a good father, his worries about not living long enough to be there to see his child grow up, his certainty that he would abuse his child as his father had abused him, and she simply listened. He didn’t share anything Jack had told him about his own experiences, as they weren’t his to tell, but when he was done he had to admit he felt a lot lighter.

Toshiko was holding his hand, a sad look on her face. “Everything you’ve just said is no different than the worries every expectant parent goes through. They may be slightly colored by what we do for a living, but I don’t think there’s a parent out there who can truthfully say he or she has never had doubts about having a child.”

“My sister didn’t,” Ianto argued. “She and Johnny both wanted kids before they even began dating.”

“And are they perfect parents?”

“Perfect? No.”

“Do they sometimes yell at the kids, or argue in front of them?” she continued.

Ianto thought about it. “Well, yes…”

“And your sister, has she ever struck them?”

“I suppose so, a spanking here or there. Why?”

“Don’t you think she’s asked herself if she was going too far?” Toshiko asked. “If your father’s abuse was being passed on through her?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Ianto, is there anything wrong with you nephew and niece?”

Ianto shook his head. “No, they’re healthy. And they’re good kids, for the most part.”

“So why are you being so hard on yourself? Why would your children be any different?”   
Ianto didn’t answer. Toshiko squeezed his hand and then got off of the bed. “I’m going to make us some dinner, and then we’re going to talk some more, okay?”

Ianto nodded, unable to return her smile as she left the room. It was as though every time he thought he knew what he wanted to do something happened to make him question his decisions. First there were the horrible situations Jack had been through, and now his friend had made him see that maybe he was over-thinking things. 

She was right. David and Mica were happy kids. They were raised by a parent who’d been abused just like he had, even if his dad was usually harder on him than he was on her. She had moved on, found love, and had two great children that he himself adored. Then again, she wasn’t working for Torchwood. She was supported by Johnny.

And Johnny wouldn’t have been his ideal brother-in-law. The man was loud, obnoxious, and quite often spoke before he thought about what to say. That much was evident just from their quick visit in the pub several months before. But he was good to Rhiannon, and he was a good father to his nephew and niece. And really, what did it matter if he and Ianto didn’t get on that well?

If he were honest with himself the closer it came to when the baby would be born the more and more confused he became. Could he raise this child? Could he be a good father? He knew Jack would be a good father. He trusted the man implicitly, and it wasn’t a blind faith. Jack had hurt him before, but not intentionally. He sometimes failed to make the popular decisions at work, yet he made them nonetheless. Someone had to do it.

It truly came down to whether or not Ianto felt this baby would be better off with another family. He now wasn’t sure. And with ever movement inside him, every kick, every punch, every rapid heartbeat he heard through Owen’s stethoscope, he became more and more attached the life form inside him.

He rubbed his stomach, covered by a simple t-shirt that was several sizes larger than he’d normally wear. Underneath that cotton was more than just a mistake that had occurred after he’d come in contact with a Raspotahn. He knew that now. He knew it with every fiber of his body. It was a miracle. And he was planning to give his miracle away.

He thought about his sister again, and how he could explain a baby. He could always say he’d gotten a girl pregnant and she’d left the baby with him and taken off. It was a harsh lie, but one that was true for many single fathers all over the world. It was unfortunate, but it did happen. He could also say he’d simply adopted the child, but that wouldn’t explain the fact that it would likely look like him. At least partially.

And how to explain Jack? Surely the captain would want to be around, which meant he would have to admit to his family that he’d not told them the truth about their relationship. Could he come out to them? Should he? Was he even gay? No. No, he wasn’t. He still found women attractive. Bisexual then?

Ianto grimaced. He hated labels nearly as much as Jack did. He didn’t actually want to identify as any particular sexuality. He’d never had to before. He’d always assumed he was straight, and so had his family. So was it all men, or was it just him? No, no it was definitely only Jack. He’d never so much as been attracted to another man before Jack.

Ianto groaned, feeling the baby kick. “I know,” he said, stroking his stomach. “I know.”

He wasn’t sure how his family would react to him wanting to raise a baby with another man. His sister might understand, but his brother-in-law? If his parents were alive he knew his father would likely disown him. And his mam, well…she would have a terrible time trying to decide whether she wanted to alienate him, or alienate herself from his father. He had a feeling she would side with his father just to keep the peace.

He tried to picture what Johnny would say, but all that did was make him upset. And the more upset he became the more the baby became agitated. In fact, by the time Toshiko returned to the bedroom, the baby was moving around like crazy.

She set down the tray on the bed, removing a bowl of homemade soup and a sandwich and setting it on his bedside table. She placed a glass of milk beside it, starting to hand him a spoon. She frowned. “Are you okay?”

He realized then that he was grimacing. A pain shot through him and he balled his fists, pushing them into the bed on either side of him. “No.”

Toshiko’s eyes widened dramatically and she moved the tray off the bed and onto the dresser before sprinting from the room. When she returned to his side she had her mobile up to her ear.

“Owen, it’s me. No, he’s not alright. I think it’s time.”

The next half hour was filled with pain and confusion for Ianto, as Owen and Jack arrived with the SUV in order to move him to the Hub. He was aware of Jack holding his hand as he lay on the table in Owen’s medical bay, and of his clothes being removed, but he never felt the needle enter his arm.

“I’ve numbed the area where I’ll be operating, and I’ve given you a stronger dose of pain meds,” the doctor explained. “Do you want to be out completely, or do you just want the local?”

Jack squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Will he be in any additional pain if he’s awake?” the captain asked on his behalf.

Owen shook his head. “The pain meds should kick in here pretty quickly, and the local anesthesia will mean he’ll feel nothing but pressure when I open him up. It’s completely your decision, Ianto.”

“Ianto?” Jack asked.

“I want to be awake,” the Welshman replied. The idea of being unconscious, while appealing for pain reasons, meant he couldn’t be aware of what was happening with his own body, and he was determined to regain some control he’d previously lost.

“Alright,” said Owen, preparing another needle. “Local it is.”

Ianto never felt that shot either.


	22. Chapter 22

Owen had been right; it only took a few moments for both the pain medication and the local anesthesia to kick in. He wasn’t completely pain free, but he felt so much better than he had.

“Gwen, I need a small blanket and a sheet,” Owen instructed. “Tosh, I’m going to need a pillow.” Both women hurried off to find their items. “I’m no surgeon, but I’ve assisted on one or two of these in my career. Jack, I’m going to need you to assist me now.”

“Anything you need, Owen,” the captain replied.

“How are you feeling, Ianto?” the medic asked him.

“Much better,” he confirmed.

“Alright, Jack, go ahead and wash your hands, then pull on a pair of those gloves.”

Jack squeezed Ianto’s hand once more before moving to the sink and doing as he was told. Ianto watched as Owen set up his tray with scalpels, clamps, needles, and various sizes of gauze. When the girls returned they carried a blanket, a sheet, and a pillow between them.

“All set, Jack?” Owen asked.

“All set,” the captain replied, stepping back to the other side of the table once more and holding up his gloved hands.

“Girls, I’ll need you to stand on either side of Ianto and hold up the sheet in front of his stomach,” said the medic. “Sometimes the trauma from seeing yourself operated on can be too much. Go ahead and position the pillow under his head and place the blanket on his chest.”

Tosh and Gwen came down the stairs. Ianto lifted his head for the pillow and whispered a thank you. Gwen placed the blanket on his chest.

“Ianto, fold your arms over your chest so you’re comfortable,” said Owen, spreading antiseptic and iodine over his patient’s stomach. Ianto did as he was told and then the girls moved into place with the sheet. “Okay, I’m going to make the incision. As I said, Ianto, you shouldn’t feel more than a lot of pressure.”

Ianto nodded, even though he could no longer see the doctor, and swallowed past the lump in his throat. He couldn’t believe he was this close to having the baby out of him. It was almost surreal.

“You alright, love?” asked Gwen, placing one of her hands on his. 

He smiled up at her. “Yes, thank you, Gwen.”

The pressure in his abdomen was extreme, causing him to wince, though there was no real pain to speak of. He wondered how much pain he’d be in later as he healed.

“I’m through the stomach wall now,” Owen advised him. “Jack, I’ll need you to place these clamps for me.”

“Can you see the baby?” Ianto asked.

“Almost there,” Owen replied. “Ah, yes, there we are. What a lovely uterus you have, Tea Boy.”

Ianto rolled his eyes as the others chuckled. He knew Owen hadn’t been able to come up with an antidote to the toxin, but he hoped he’d at least be rid of any female reproductive organs once everything was said and done. If they had to they could use protection from then on out, just in case his body chemistry was irrevocably altered.

“Cutting into the amniotic sac now,” announced Owen. “Jack, get that bulb syringe ready.”

Gwen’s hand closed over his and squeezed. He was beyond grateful for the support. In mere moments the baby would be born, and his breathing increased as he realized how ill-prepared he actually was for that eventuality. To think about it was one thing, but to experience it was quite another.

“Oh my God,” gasped Toshiko, covering her mouth with one hand.

“It’s beautiful,” said Gwen, looking down at him with tears in her eyes.

“Jack, hand me the syringe.”

Ianto held his breath until he finally heard the baby’s first cry. He let it out in a shuddering pant. He hadn’t realized exactly how worried he’d been that something would be wrong with the baby. 

“It’s a healthy baby boy,” Owen declared. “Jack, if you’d do the honors of cutting the cord?”

“Oh, he’s lovely, Ianto,” Gwen told him, giving him a gap-toothed grin.

“He’s perfect,” Tosh added.

“Okay, I’m removing the ovaries, uterus and afterbirth,” Owen said. “Jack, go ahead and use that blanket to wipe the baby down gently. I’ll sew him back up and then we’ll take measurements.”

Toshiko handed Jack the blanket, and Jack wrapped the baby up and began to wipe off the worst of the blood and other fluids. When he was done he curled the baby into the crook of his arm. The child was still whimpering, but his caterwauling had ceased.

“Alright, just finished up the final stitches,” said Owen. “You can put the sheet down now.”

The girls did as advised, moving to stand beside Jack and the baby as Jack smiled down at his small form. Ianto watched with wide eyes as Jack placed the baby down on his chest. His arms moved to cradle him immediately, his chest tightening as the baby’s eyes met his.

Jack removed his gloves and tossed them into a lined bin. “What do you think, Ianto?”

“He’s so small,” Ianto replied, scarcely able to believe that tiny being had come out of him.

“All stitched up,” said Owen, cleaning off Ianto’s stomach and then pulling the sheet down over him. He moved to stand beside Ianto’s head. “Hey, not bad for the spawn of the Tea Boy and the captain.”

Gwen smacked his arm. “He’s absolutely gorgeous.”

“We’re going to need that formula,” Toshiko reminded them. “I’ll go prepare a bottle.”

Ianto was barely paying attention, his focus never leaving the baby. His eyes were blue, but not the blue of birth. Instead they were the shade of Jack’s eyes. He had a thick smattering of dark brown hair, and fair skin like Ianto’s own. Or he would, anyway, after the initial blotchiness disappeared.

“What will you be naming him?” Gwen asked softly.

Ianto looked up at her, brows furrowed, then at Jack. “I don’t know.”

“Can you give us a few minutes?” Jack asked, looking at Gwen and Owen in turn. They nodded and headed up the stairs. When Tosh returned, she saw the others leaving.

“Here Jack,” she said, handing him the small bottle. “I’ve already temperature tested it.” She then went back up the stairs to join the others.

Jack held the bottle up. “Do you want to do the honors?”

Ianto licked his lips. “You can do it, if you want.”

Jack smiled. He pulled up Owen’s stool and sat down before removing the baby from Ianto’s arms. He held him in the crook of his arm and tipped the bottle towards his mouth. For a moment the baby seemed not to understand, and then his lips opened and he latched onto the nipple and began to drink, eyes closing.

“Would you look at that?” Jack said, smirking. “Our son’s a natural.”

Ianto swallowed thickly as he watched Jack feed their baby. The lines that had begun to form on Jack’s face seemed diminished now, as if he hadn’t a care in the world as long as their son was in his arms.

Their son. God, he couldn’t believe it. They had a son together. A miracle baby. 

“C-can I hold him again?”

Jack nodded and slid their son back onto Ianto’s chest, relinquishing the bottle when Ianto took a hold of it. “He looks just like you.”

Ianto took in the button nose, the shape of the baby’s mouth as he suckled at his first meal. The eyes were Jack’s, but the captain was right. Everything else screamed Ianto. 

“He looks like I did as a baby,” the Welshman acknowledged.

“Then you were adorable,” Jack said, playing with one of the baby’s hands. “Just like our son.”

The baby’s fingers curled around one of Jack’s and Ianto saw the captain’s mouth open in awe. Tears formed in his eyes. He’d never seen such a look on the other man’s face. He tried to remember life as just Jack and Ianto and somehow it was hard to do so.

The baby forced the nipple from his mouth and let out a wail. Ianto tried to feed him the bottle again but he refused it, screwing up his face. Jack took the bottle from his hands and set it on the counter.

“Here, let me.” Jack picked up the baby, setting him on his shoulder and firmly tapping his back. After a moment their son let out a loud burp, and stopped crying. “There we go. Just a little gas.”

Ianto surprised himself by holding out his arms. Jack obliged and gave him back the baby. Ianto smiled down at him. “You make a lot of noise for such a little man.”

The baby just blinked up at him sleepily, a bit of milk dribbling from his mouth. Ianto used a corner of the blanket to dab at it. The baby blinked a couple more times and then closed his eyes, falling asleep.

“That didn’t take long,” Ianto said, tightening the blanket around him.

“Babies sleep a lot.”

“Not enough,” Ianto replied, remembering his sister’s complaints when she first brought David home. “I imagine there will be many of these feedings during the night.”

“It’s almost guaranteed.”

Ianto thought for a moment. “We haven’t bought a cot, Jack.”

The other man’s eyebrows went up. “No, I guess we haven’t, have we? We’ll have to send one of the girls out for something temporary.”

“Temporary?” Ianto asked, looking up at him.

“Well, yes,” Jack replied, frowning. “I’m sure the Bowens will have their own.”

Ianto’s face fell and he looked back down at the baby. For just a few minutes he’d completely forgotten. He’d forgotten this wasn’t their baby and that he’d have to turn the child over to another family.

His eyes went wide. “Jack?”

“Hmm?” the other man replied, his eyes not leaving the child in Ianto’s arms.

“We…” he started, licking his lips. “We haven’t signed the contract with the Bowens yet.”

Jack did look up then, meeting his eyes. “No, we haven’t.”

“Should we…call them?”

A sad smile formed on Jack’s face. “That’s up to you, Ianto. We can wait until tomorrow if you want.”

Ianto suddenly felt everything crash in on him. Every fear, every argument they’d had regarding the fate of the baby, every emotion he could imagine hitting him at once. He didn’t know what to do. Up until the moment he’d held their child in his arms he’d known he was going up for adoption. But now… Now he couldn’t be sure it was the right thing to do.

“”What if I…” he started, then snapped his mouth shut.

“What if you what?” asked Jack.

Ianto felt one of the tears he’d been holding back slip down his cheek. “What if I wanted to…to keep him?”

Jack placed a hand on their son’s head, rubbing a thumb over his temple. “Is that something you’re considering?”

Ianto looked into the face of his sleeping child, trying to picture handing him over to Mr. and Mrs. Bowen. “Yes, Jack. I think I am.”

Jack’s sad smile morphed into a genuine smile, the kind only Ianto ever seemed to receive. “Then I think he needs a name, don’t you?”

Ianto reached up and cupped Jack’s cheek. “Cariad?”

“Yeah?” Jack replied, his blue eyes searching Ianto’s.

“I think I’d like to name him Alexander.”

Jack’s eyes welled up. “Ianto…”

“We don’t have to, if you don’t want to.”

Jack shook his head, swallowing. “No, I think it’s perfect. But are you sure?”

Ianto nodded, looking back down at the baby. “Alexander Harkness.”

“Not Jones?”

“I think Harkness is appropriate,” Ianto said, smiling. “But we’ll need a middle name. Certainly not my father’s.”

“Mine wouldn’t sound right.”

Ianto turned to look at him. “I’m not sure you’ve told me.”

“Franklin.”

Ianto’s nose wrinkled. “You’re right, it doesn’t work.”

“How about David, after his cousin?” Jack suggested.

“Alexander David Harkness,” Ianto said, seeing how the name sounded on his tongue. 

“It has a nice ring to it,” Jack admitted.

Ianto smiled down at the baby. “What do you think, Alexander?” The baby slept on, oblivious. “Well he’s not arguing, yeah?”

Jack laughed, leaning down to kiss the top of Ianto’s head. “Should I call the others down so we can give them the news?”

Ianto wiped his eyes. “Please.”

Jack moved to the top of the stairs and waved everyone over. “Ianto and I have an announcement to make.”

“Oh?” asked Gwen, stepping up to the railing.

“Well what is it then?” Owen asked.

Jack went back down the stairs to stand at Ianto’s side. “You want to tell them?”

“You go ahead, Jack.”

“Alright. Ianto and I have decided we’re keeping the baby.” There was a moment when everyone started talking at once, loudly, and Jack held his finger to his lips and pointed to their sleeping son. The others quieted down.

“Have you picked out the name?” Toshiko asked, voice hushed.

Jack looked down at Ianto, nodding. “Alexander,” the Welshman supplied. “Alexander David Harkness.”

“We are so very happy for you,” Gwen said, smiling. “I can’t believe it. A baby, at Torchwood!”

“It’s very exciting,” Tosh added.

“I’m not changing any nappies, just so you know,” Owen muttered, folding his arms and scowling. “It’s bad enough I won’t have use of my autopsy table for a few days.”

“A few days?” Ianto asked, eyebrows raised. “Can’t I go home before that?”

“You’ll go home when I say it’s alright,” Owen replied. “And not a moment before. I have to keep an eye on that incision until it begins to heal.”

Ianto nodded and then looked up at Jack. “We’re going to need to let the agency know we changed our minds,” he whispered.

“I’ll give them a call.”

“Thank you.”

Jack headed up to his office and the others went back to their workstations, leaving him alone with the baby. Ianto looked down at his sleeping face and knew his decision was the right one. He’d never felt such an instant bond with anyone in his life.

“We’re going to make an interesting little family,” he told his son, rocking him gently.

It was several minutes before the captain returned, coming down the steps and sitting back down on the stool. “All done,” he said. “The agency will give the Bowens our apologies.”

Ianto bit his lower lip. “I didn’t even think about how they’re going to feel,” he admitted, sighing.

“I know,” Jack replied, forehead wrinkling into a frown. “But there will be other children for them to adopt. This one is ours.”

Ianto reached out a hand, clasping Jack’s. “He’s really ours, isn’t he?”

“Oh yeah.”

Ianto groaned. Oh God. How was he going to explain this to his sister? 

 

~fin~


End file.
